3/27/2023 0 Comments Breathing zone oshaThese slots should be kept as small as possible, dependent on the activity, and should be placed so as to not compromise the breathing zone of either user. Transparent barriers often need openings to allow limited interactions (e.g., a document slot, or space for a point of sale terminal). Some manufacturers are also providing signage or stickers that remind clients to remain behind the barrier. Currently, industry best practice is to make the partition as wide as the surface, desk, or countertop will allow. The width of the partition should account for user behavior, including the likelihood that users will attempt to move to the side to speak around the barrier. Currently, many partitions being sold for desks are too low to completely shield the breathing zone of a seated person. For example, if one user is standing and the other sitting, the partition should reflect the height of the standing person. Thus, the height of the partition must take into account the tallest user, and the way in which s/he will approach or use the partition. The breathing zone is the pocket of air from which a person draws breath, and can be visualized as a bubble with a radius of 30 cm (12”) extending from the mid-point between a person’s ears. The most obvious critical factor for a partition is that its dimensions should exceed the breathing zone of partition users (employees and clients) by a wide margin. Best practices for designing transparent partitions However, if staff and/or clients will be unmasked on opposing sides of these partitions, it is essential that the partition has been designed, installed, and maintained such that it effectively prevents the co-mingling of droplets (and aerosols) produced by both parties. Partitions are proposed to serve three critical functions: 1) intercepting the respiratory droplets that are thought to transmit the virus, 2) re-enforcing physical distancing requirements, even when users are unwilling or forgetful and 3) reducing reliance on masks, both due to the shortage of these items and user comfort. Why use transparent partitions?Īlthough partitions have been widely in use in healthcare and food service settings for decades, their use in the “new normal” world of business is distinct from either of these. The purpose of this document was to consult with public health and industry to identify best practices in the design, installation, and maintenance of transparent partitions to ensure that they are most protective of public health. These barriers are often made out of acrylic (Plexiglass) or polycarbonate plastics, which are lighter weight, more easily shaped, and have much greater impact resistance than glass. To address this, the use of transparent physical barriers have been broadly recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the US CDC, the World Health Organization, and many other agencies. However, there are many instances or activities during which it is not possible to remain more than 2 m away from others, or to remember to do so. Maintaining a safe physical distance will be essential to virtually all social and economic activities carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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