Thread by @joeyfox85

MISUSING THE HIERARCHY OF CONTROLS

The hierarchy of controls is a system to reduce or eliminate exposure to hazards. It has been misused by people pushing an anti-mask agenda. They misunderstand how this works.

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Here's Martha Fulford misunderstanding it to push an anti-mask agenda.

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https://twitter.com/i/status/1430677400011030530

Respirators (N95, KN95...) right now are the most effective tools to prevent infection. It's preferable to use the other methods, but the other methods don't work as well.

Here's how the different controls can be used to combat COVID (some is up for debate):

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Elimination:
- Stay at home
- lockdowns
- preventing cases through testing
- contact tracing
- vaccines

Substitution: not applicable

Engineering Controls:
- ventilation
- filtration

Administrative Controls:
- distancing
- lower capacity

PPE:
- respirators

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Once we are moving on from this pandemic, this will be the basis for risk reduction. Focus on vaccines, possibly rapid tests, ventilation and filtration. Masking will be dropped. Now, respirators are better than vaccines, ventilation and filtration at preventing infection.

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I need to state this clearly - it's not one or the other. We should be using all methods. I'm not downplaying the importance of vaccines, ventilation and filtration. But masking lower down on the hierarchy does not mean it is less effective.

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