The bottom line is that this new era of terrorism and potential pandemic disease, law enforcement is being forced to comply with long-established labor respiratory standards. Managers basically have one choice - full compliance for respirators involving medical screening; or implementing respirators as a "voluntary" or "escape" basis. If you choose the latter, you limit your ability to utilize respirators. For example, you could not require officers to wear AVON masks when deploying tear gas for civil disturbances or during high risk drug warrant service, etc.
Regardless of which path you take, if you issue, or allow to be used, respirators, you still have to have a respirator program, respirator manager, a policy, and fit tests. The most significant difference between the two paths is the requirement to have all employees wearing respirators to submit to medical screening. This requirement does NOT mean they have to be examined by a health care professional - it means they have to complete the standard medical screening form which is then reviewed by a licensed health care professional. Only if they fail the medical screening form, THEN they have to be physically examined.
For those who want the medical screening, ILEAS has negotiated a method of conducting them at a resonable rate. ILEAS has arranged with 3M to provide their online medical screening service for $25 per employee. ILEAS has confirmation from IDOL that the 3M system does in fact meet the 1910.134 medical screening standard. Hundreds of agencies representing thousands of officers from around the country have succesfully used this system. As an ILEAS member, you have access to this system at this price (cost to be borne by your agency, not ILEAS) and can use it for any employee. It is not limited to law enforcement officers or police employees - if you want to expand it to other departments for your municipality or county, you can.
Features of the online system are:
Method - interactive online questionnaire. Each questionnaire can cover up to 5 sets of respirator profiles. ILEAS has already added the AVON and N95 respirator profiles into the system for everyone. Three additional equipment or environmental profiles can be added by each agency at no expense.
Time - 10-20 minutes per employee to sign on and complete the questionnaire. Overtime to send an employee to a clinic would virtually be eliminated.
Clearance Rate - Based on 3M's experience, on average 88% will be immediately cleared by software logic. An additional 9% will be cleared with a physician review. 3% will be recommended for an actual physical exam.
Cost Savings - The average contract cost for a local medical professional to screen employees is around $60 nationally. for example, if you have 100 employees which would normally be $6,000.00. Using the 3M online system, 97 people will be cleared at $25/per person ($2,425) and 3 people will require additional follow up ($255) for a total cost of $2,680. Additionally, the savings in staff time is immense - 97% of your staff will spend 10-20 minutes at a computer and not off site at a clinic. All records are available to you 24/7 on a secured website. Clearance letters are sent by email or fax, but can also be printed out online.
Operational Benefits - The Chief or Sheriff can oversee who has and who has not submitted to the medical screening by simply signing online. You get an email reminder for each employee after a year has passed reminding you that they are due for a retest.
An added benefit of this program is that if enough agencies use the online system in Illinois, ILEAS may receive a rebate from 3M. Any rebate will be applied towards the purchase of more AVON masks and canisters. The rebate pricing structure is:
2500 to 4999 = $2 each rebated back to ILEAS from 3M. That would buy between 20 and 40 more AVON masks for distribution.
5000+ = $4 each rebated back to ILEAS from 3M. That would buy at least 80 more AVON masks for distribution.