Respiratory Protection 29 CFR

Regulatory Requirements 29 CFR Covers all required and voluntary use of respiratory protection in general industry Requires a written program Requires employee training, medical evaluation, and fit-testing Standard revised in 1998

Types of Respiratory Protection Atmosphere supplying –Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) –Airline respirators Air purifying –Gas and vapor –Particulate –Combination

Types of Face Pieces Mouthpiece Single use/disposable Quartermask Half mask Full face Helmet

Effective Use of Respirators During installation ofengineering controls During maintenance operations During process turnarounds For nonroutine tasks For emergency response At hazardous waste site operations When other controls are inadequate When other controls are not feasible

Employee Effectiveness The use of respiratory protection limits the effectiveness of the employee by percent.

Maximum Use Concentrations Half mask w/ov cartridge = 1,000 ppm or 10x the PEL, whichever is lower Full face w/ov cartridge = 1,000 ppm or 50x the PEL, whichever is lower Full face w/acid gas chin canister = 2% by volume or 50 times the PEL, whichever is lower Note: In general, never exceed an APF.

Respirator Selection Criteria Physical state of the contaminant Contaminant concentration Oxygen deficiency Warning properties of contaminant Potential for IDLH atmospheres Can contaminant be ad/absorbed by a media? Can contaminant be ad/absorbed by the skin? Is the contaminant irritating to the eyes?

Types of Fit-testing Qualitative –Isoamyl acetate –Irritant smoke Quantitative –DOP/corn oil –Ambient atmosphere (portacount)

Elements of a Respiratory Protection Program Written operating procedures Proper selection Training and fitting Cleaning and disinfecting Storage Inspection and maintenance Work area surveillance

Respiratory Program (cont.) Inspection and evaluation to determine effectiveness Medical examinations Approved respirators

Revision to Effective date: April 8, 1998 Enforcement date: October 5, 1998

Written Program Requirements Must be site-specific Must have a program administrator Must be developed when respirator use is required

When Respirators Are Not Required Can use employee respirator if it does not create a hazard Voluntary users of respirators must be given Appendix D Appendix D = employee information when respirators are not required Employers must implement a program for nonrequired users

Respirators Not Required (cont.) If dust masks only are used and not required, no written program is required Appendix D of the standard must be provided to users

General Requirements Use of NIOSH-approved respirators only Evaluation of hazards Availability of multiple respirator types

Respirators for Non-IDLH Use If cartridges have no “end of service life indicator” a change schedule must be used Added table for oxygen-deficient atmospheres based on altitude

Medical Evaluation Use of medical questionnaire (Appendix C) Follow-up medical exam for any positive response to questionnaire All medical evaluations must be made confidentially Employees must be allowed to discuss the questionnaire with the physician

Medical Evaluation (cont.) Physicians must be told conditions of respirator use Employers must provide a PAPR if employees cannot use a negative pressure APR Follow-up evaluations must be conducted if conditions of use or user health change

Fit-Testing Respirators will not protect you if they don’t fit properly! Required for negative or positive pressure tight-fitting face pieces Must be conducted prior to use Must be conducted at least annually Must be retested if respirator fit or wearer changes

Quiz 1. The two categories of respiratory protection are ___________________ and ___________________. 2. An employee’s effectiveness increases while using a respirator. True or False 3. Employees who are required to wear respirators must first be medically qualified. True or False 4. The two types of respirator fit-testing are ___________________ and ___________________. 5. All respirators used for employee protection must be OSHA approved. True or False

Quiz (cont.) 6. Types of respirator facepieces include _____________, ___________, and ____________. 7. The protection factor of a half mask air-purifying respirator is 10 x PEL. True or False 8. Elements of a written respiratory protection program include __________, __________, and ___________. 9.Respirator fit-testing must be conducted every three years. True or False 10.Any respirator you use will protect you against harmful chemical fumes. True or False

Quiz Answers 1. The two categories of respiratory protection are atmosphere-supplying and air-purifying. 2. False. An employee’s effectiveness will decrease about one-third while using a respirator. 3. True. Employees who are required to wear respirators must be physically qualified to wear the devices. 4. The two types of fit-testing are qualitative and quantitative. 5. False. Respirators accepted by OSHA must be NIOSH approved.

Quiz Answers (cont.) 6. Types of respirator face pieces include mouthpiece, single-use disposable, quarter mask, half mask, full face, and helmet. 7. True. The protection factor of a half mask respirator is 10 x PEL. 8.Elements of a written respiratory protection program include written operating procedures, proper selection, training and fitting, cleaning and disinfecting, storage, inspection and maintenance, and work area surveillance. 9.False. Respirator fit-testing must be conducted annually. 10.False. Only an air-supplying respirator will protect you from chemical fumes.