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.
Lightning strikes airport passenger in Columbia. COLUMBIA, SC -- Lightning struck a passenger who was getting off a plane Saturday at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, where a flight had been diverted because of bad weather. The woman, whose name was not available Sunday morning, was hospitalized in the Columbia area and in stable condition Saturday night, an airport spokeswoman said.