Category two – Best individual contribution to work health and safety
Dr Arjun Chavan is a paediatric intensive care staff specialist who identified that healthcare workers should be quantitatively fit-tested to ensure their Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) suited their facial characteristics. Dr Chavan researched, trained, ran pilot programs and presented on the MaskHelper—initially focused on the recycling and re-use of N95s that evolved into a program that helps provide workers with the correct P2 facemasks and minimises the number of masks wasted.
Arjun is involved in many working groups committed to the pandemic response and PPE and has supported other Hospital and Health Services. Other hospital and health services have commenced their own quantitative fit-testing programs through use of the MaskHelper Solution.
The MaskHelper solution provides an artificial intelligence facial recognition based on quantitative fit-testing data captured at the TUH. It can be used as a triaging tool to reduce the number of masks used for fitting purposes, with the initial pilot study showing this method was more accurate than an experienced fit-tester. With increased uptake and therefore increased machine learning the tool could be easily implemented for personnel that do not have access to fit-testing and whilst it will never replace actual fit-testing it can provide and informed decision around RPE fit.
