• A discussion of the device’s capabilities and

limitations.

• Instruction and training in actual use of respiratory protection equipment, and definite and frequent supervision to assure that it continues to be properly used

• Classroom and field training to recognize and cope with emergency situations

Before an employee may be required to use any respirator with a negative- or positive pressure tight-fitting facepiece, the employee must be fit tested with the same make, model, style, and size of respirator that will be used.

Training should provide personnel with an opportunity to handle the device, have it fitted properly, test its face-to-facepiece seal, wear it in normal air for a long familiarity period, and, finally, wear it in a test atmosphere. OSHA requires fit tests to ensure proper fit for workers who use respirators.

OSHA requires fit testing for any face mask (full or half) designed to have a tight seal along the face, whether it is used in a positive- or negative-pressure mode, and whether it is disposable or not. Qualitative fit test methods are subjective in nature and rely on the judgment of the test subject. They are essentially a pass/fail fit test to assess the adequacy of respirator fit.

Quantitative testing methods rely on objective data to determine a proper fit. An assessment of the adequacy of respirator fit is determined by numerically measuring the amount of leakage into the respirator.

If the required fit factor is greater than 100, i.e., when higher levels of respiratory protection are needed, quantitative fit-testing must be conducted.

Most experts agree that quantitative fit-testing provides the most accurate information, because it uses actual test data, rather than depending on the respirator wearer’s sense of smell and taste (subjective responses).

OSHA requires these eight exercises for both qualitative and quantitative fit testing:

1–normal breathing

2–deep breathing

3–head side to side

4–head up and down

5–talking out loud

6–grimacing (quantitative only)

7–bending

8–normal breathing

Proper inspection, maintenance, and repair of

respiratory protective equipment are mandatory

to ensure success of any respiratory protection

as it had when it was first manufactured.

All equipment must be inspected before and after each use. A record of all inspections by date must be kept, with the results tabulated. It is important to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer precisely.

All non-disposable respiratory protective

equipment must be cleaned and decontaminated after each use. Disposable respirators and accessories should be discarded after each use, and replaced with identical new respirators.

Replacement of other than disposable parts must be done only by personnel with adequate training to ensure that the equipment is functioning properly after the work is accomplished. Only parts supplied by the manufacturer for the product being repaired must be used.

According to OSHA, "using a respirator may place a physiological burden on employees that varies with the type of respirator worn, the job and workplace conditions in which the respirator is used, and the medical status of the employee."

Employers must determine an employee’s ability to use a respirator.

Workers should never be assigned to any

operation requiring respiratory protection until a physician has determined that they are capable— physically and psychologically— to perform the work using the respiratory protective equipment.

Employers are required to conduct periodic

to ensure that they are using the respirators

properly. The employer must regularly consult employees required to use respirators to assess the employees’ views on program effectiveness and to identify any problems. Any problems that are identified during this assessment must be corrected.

Factors to be assessed include, but are not

limited to:

• Respirator fit (including the ability to use the respirator without interfering with effective workplace performance)

• Appropriate respirator selection for the hazards to which the employee is exposed

• Proper respirator use under the workplace

conditions the employee encounters

• Proper respirator maintenance

Employers must retain written information

regarding medical evaluations, fit testing, and the respirator program. This information will facilitate employee involvement in the respirator program, assist the employer in auditing the adequacy of the program, and provide a record for compliance determinations by OSHA.

• Records must be kept on:

• Medical evaluation

• Qualitative and Quantitative Fit Tests,

which are retained until the next fit test

is administered

• Employee identity

• Make, model, style, and size of

respirator tested

• Date of test

• Results

• Written copy of the current respirator program.

Although instituting a sound respiratory

protection program will take effort and financial investment, the objective of a such a program is sound—ensuring that every worker is protected against potentially fatal diseases.

This article is intended to help employers

understand the respiratory protection

requirements of OSHA and NIOSH government

standards, and is not intended to be the sole guide for complying with 29 CFR Part 1920.134 (OSHA) and 42 CFR Part 84 (NIOSH). These government documents may be found in their entirety on the Internet at: www.osha.gov

www.cdc.gov/niosh/part84