PPE: Respirator Usage and Safety. A respirator is a personal protective device that is worn on the face. It covers the nose and mouth and is specifically designed to provide respiratory protection by forming a tight seal against the wearerâs skin. Respirators vary in their level of protection and efficiency to filter out airborne particles.
In 2003, Columbia disintegrated over Texas while returning from a 16-day trip to space. Later analysis found that a small bit of foam insulation that broke off an external fuel tank during launch had torn a hole in the orbiter's wing and led to the disaster. Gene Grush recounts the events from NASA's perspective.
By ERIC LIPTON. Congressional investigators have collected a number of documents that provide clues as to what went wrong in the federal and state response last year to Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in modern United States history. Related Article | Audio: Times Reporter Eric Lipton on the Documents (mp3)