Staff at the Royal Adelaide Hospital are the first to test new locally made respiratory masks, as part of our readiness to respond to a surge of COVID-19 cases.
Keeping our staff and patients safe is our priority, and the new respiratory masks manufactured by South Australian company Detmold will help ensure we have ongoing supply.
Each type of respiratory masks needs to be specifically fitted to each individual because an incorrectly fitted mask may allow air to flow underneath the seal, reducing the level of protection.
That’s the job of our small Clinical Worker Health team, which geared up to a full seven days a week operation when the pandemic hit, and “fit tested” 3,000 staff for the right mask for them.
This includes training staff on how to safely put on and remove the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and perform a “fit check” each time the respirator is worn.
The team is now working through fit testing staff in priority areas for the new Detmold masks.
South Australia is the only state that has a mandatory requirement for healthcare workers to be fit tested to respirator masks.
More information is available: bit.ly/32UhS7N.
