Archives

September 14, 2021

IRSST Publishes Study on Characterization of Unintentionally Released Nanometric Particles in Various Workplaces

The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) announced on August 9, 2021, publication of a study entitled Characterization of Unintentionally Released Nanometric Particles in Various Workplaces. The study characterizes unintentionally released nanoparticles (URNP) found in six workplaces — an underground mine, a truck repair shop, an underground transportation network, a foundry, a machine shop, and a wax casting shop — on the basis of...
September 7, 2018

IRSST Publishes Assessment of Methods of Sampling and Characterizing Engineered Nanomaterials in the Workplace in English

The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) recently published a report, in English, entitled An Assessment of Methods of Sampling and Characterizing Engineered Nanomaterials in the Air and on Surfaces in the Workplace.  As reported in our March 29, 2017, blog item, IRSST first published the report in French.  The research project has two complementary parts:  a laboratory investigation and a fieldwork component.  The...
March 29, 2017

IRSST Publishes Report for Project on Development and Validation of Methods for Sampling and Characterizing Engineered Nanomaterials in Air and on Workplace Surfaces

On March 7, 2017, the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) published the final report for Project 2013-0059, “The Development and Validation of Methods for Sampling and Characterizing Engineered Nanomaterials in Air and on Workplace Surfaces.”  The report is available in French, but the abstract is available in English.  The main goal was to develop innovative methodological approaches for detailed qualitative and...
February 6, 2017

IRSST Project Measures Nanoparticle Penetration into Protective Gloves

The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) published a news item on January 16, 2017, entitled “Nanoparticles — to handle with care.”  IRSST states that although research is still in development, it appears that nanoparticles can enter the respiratory tract or penetrate through the skin and make their way to the bloodstream, which may carry the nanoparticles to various organs.  While studies have been...
July 1, 2016

IRSST Studies Efficacy of N95 Respirators in Conditions Representative of Human Breathing

On June 28, 2016, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) issued a press release announcing the availability of a study on “Efficiency Evaluation of N95 FFRs under Cyclic and Constant Flows.”  Researchers tested the efficacy of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) in conditions of constant and cyclical air flow, simulating human breathing, from 42 to 360 liters per minute.  According to the press release, N95 respirators “are the personal...
December 16, 2015

IRSST Publishes Best Practices Guidance for Nanomaterial Risk Management in the Workplace

On December 11, 2015, the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), a leading occupational health and safety research center in Canada, published the second edition of its Best Practices Guidance for Nanomaterial Risk Management in the Workplace.  IRSST intends the Guidance to support the safe development of nanotechnologies in Québec by bringing together current scientific knowledge on hazard identification, strategies for determining nanomaterial...