Are gloves and masks still necessary using ISOL-AIDE products?
The CDC interim recommendations (noted above) state “Protective, impermeable gloves should be worn by all workers who handle mail”. They also state “Persons working with or near machinery capable of generating aerosolized particles (e.g., electronic mail sorters) or at other work sites where such particles may be generated should be fitted with NIOSH-approved respirators that are at least as protective as an N95 respirator”. If mail is opened in the ISOL-AIDE Isolation Station or Acrylic Capture Chamber, aerosolized particles are isolated from the operator. However, should a contaminated piece of mail leak before entering either of these devices, personal inhalation protection would not be provided. The CDC states “These measures should be selected on the basis of an initial evaluation of the work site. This evaluation should focus on determining which processes, operations, jobs, or tasks would be most likely to result in an exposure should a contaminated envelope or package enter the
