Wearing duration of respiratory protectors for COVID-19 in slaughterhouses

The work in the production of animal protein in slaughterhouses involves the exposure to several occupational risk factors. At present, it has been recently associated with the pandemic context related to the biological agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The slaughterhouse sector has been shown to be a critical focus of concentration and spread of cases in Brazil and worldwide. Among the strategies adopted for worker’s protection, there is a clear need for collective protection, supplemented by individual protection. With regard to SARS-CoV-2 and to the risk for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), respiratory protection is essential and well-established by the competent agencies and by the scientific community, since the respiratory route is considered the route of transmission and of risk of contagion. The aim of this review was to analyze the indication of use with regard to the frequency for changing respiratory protectors when working at slaughterhouses. The study involved a literature review, conducted on databases available on the internet. The search considered journal articles, dissertations, and theses published in Portuguese and English on scientific data bases from 2006 to 2020. Based on this review, it was possible to show that, in slaughterhouses, especially due to temperature and humidity conditions, facial respirator masks should be discarded after each work shift.