All Victorian health services in which health care workers (including those working in hotel quarantine across Australia) have the potential to be exposed to respiratory hazards are required to implement a qualitative and quantitative Respiratory Protection Program (RPP).
Where a risk of respiratory hazards, including COVID-19, is identified at a Melbourne workplace, employers must eliminate the risk to the greatest degree possible.
When it’s not possible to eliminate the risk, it must be controlled so far as is reasonably practicable.This is in line with WorkSafe and DHHS (Victoria) requirements.
It is no secret that COVID-19 highlighted the need for more focussed respiratory protection across our community. Whether it’s health care, aged care or in other Melbourne workplaces, a robust control program around this has an important role in keeping us all safe!
Helia EHS Group is engaged by our clients to assist with their RPP needs.
This is particularly focused on quantitative and qualitative respiratory fit testing and we see the main areas that we currently and competently assist our Australians clients to be the following:
The following diagram [from the Victorian Respiratory Protection Program Guidelines, DHHS Victoria, September 2020 (Version 1.1)] provides an example of how a prioritization framework for Victorian health services might be designed to consider both the role and setting of a wearer. This may be modified to accommodate local variables.
ACP – Aerosol generating procedures
AGB – Aerosol generating behavior’s
High risk workers, for the purposes of the DHHS document (referenced above), are defined as:
Interested in finding out more about Respiratory Fit Testing?
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