Assessing Embalmer Exposure to Bioaerosols and the Associated Health Risk STUDIES AND

The purpose of this study was to assess embalmers’ exposure to bioaerosols in order to evaluate the potential risks to their health and examine the effect of certain factors on the behaviour of biological particles in the air. [...] The simulations enabled us to calculate the mean age of the air in various parts of the laboratory and to assess the effect of different ventilation strategies on the concentrations of bioaerosols in the lab. [...] iv Assessing Embalmer Exposure to Bioaerosols IRSST and the Associated Health Risk Considering the difficulty of identifying the existence of pathogens in dead bodies and near embalmers, the great diversity of work tasks and the uncertainty associated with the dilution of contaminants by means of general ventilation, the authors of this report recommend that, at minimum, the wearing of air-filteri. [...] For example, depending on the organization or expert group, the recommendations regarding wearing RPE vary based on the presence or absence of infectious diseases recorded in the declaration of death, any infectious agents identified, the possible transmission pathway, the tasks to be done, the condition of the cadaver, and the time since death. [...] The factors responsible for the dispersion of bioaerosols in the air include the supply flow rate, ventilation strategy, spatial arrangement of the premises, and location of the emission source.