Respirator Basics

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First, where respirators must be used to protect one’s health against respiratory hazards, OSHA requires development of a respiratory protection program in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134. Where respirators are used in a voluntary fashion, some program elements still may be required to prevent hazards associated with respirator misuse.

An “air-purifying respirators” (APRs) that remove airborne particulates (dusts, dander, and infectious agents) can be divided into (1) disposable or filtering face piece respirators, where the entire respirator is discarded after use when one feels there is excessive breathing resistance or when the respirator is damaged, or potentially contaminated; (2) reusable respirators, where the face piece is cleaned and reused but the filter cartridges are discarded and replaced; and (3) powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), where a battery-powered blower moves the air flow through the filters into a face piece, hood, or helmet.

Surgical masks are not designed for use as respirators and do not provide much protection for the wearer. Surgical masks do provide barrier protection against droplets, but most surgical masks do not effectively filter small particles from air and do not prevent leakage around the edge of the mask when the user inhales.

Before a worker ever puts a respirator on, OSHA requires the employer to ensure the user is physically capable of wearing a respirator. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134, states, “The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator before the employee is fit-tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace.” It goes on to state, “Employees that use any respirators … must have a medical evaluation before use.”

A respirator that does not fit properly simply gives the false impression of protection and may be more dangerous than no respirator at all. There are specific fit-test protocols that are accepted by OSHA. The following is an excerpt from an OSHA compliance directive:

Respirators must be fit-tested.
A “test atmosphere” must be applied to assess the quality of fit.
The fit-test must be applied to each and every employee required to wear a respirator.
The fit-testing requirement applies to all negative pressure respirators including single use respirators.

We must emphasize that respirators reduce the amount of contaminants within the breathing air but don’t eliminate them all together. Each type of respirator carries an “Assigned Protection Factor” which can be considered as the theoretical amount of protection a properly fitted respirator might provide. The highest protection factor for air purifying respirators (APRs) is only 50 according to NIOSH. APRs should only be used in relatively low hazard areas where a single face-respirator seal break might be unpleasant but not dangerous.

From Respirators by the Safety Guys