Respiratory Protection

Responsibilities

• Program Administrator – Michael Humes

  • Program Administration, training, etc.

• Supervisors/Directors

  • Identify hazards that require respiratory protection and implement the SUU Program Implementation

• Employee

  • Each employee or student has the responsibility to wear his or her respirator when and where required and in the manner in which they were trained.

  • Respirator care

  • Inform supervisor of respiratory hazards

Purpose

The purpose of this program is to ensure that all Southern Utah University employees and students are protected from exposure to respiratory hazards.

Selection Procedures

The Program Administrator and the Supervisor will:

• Conduct a hazard evaluation for each operation, process, or work area where airborne contaminants may be present.

  • Identification and development of a list of hazardous substances

  • Review of work processes to determine where potential exposures to these hazardous substances may occur. This review shall be conducted by surveying the workplace, reviewing process records, and talking with employees and supervisors.

  • Exposure Monitoring to determine concentration of airborne contaminants and compare to permissible exposure limits (PEL)  

• Select the appropriate respirators to be used.

NIOSH Certification

All respirators must be certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and shall be used in accordance with the terms of that certification.

All filters, cartridges, and canisters must be labeled with the appropriate NIOSH approval label. The label must not be removed or defaced while it is in use.

Voluntary Respirator Use

• Filtering facepiece respirators (Disposable N95, N100) are the only Voluntary Use respirators permitted by Southern Utah University.

• The voluntary use of other types of respirators is generally not permitted however can be approved  by the PA on a case-by-case basis.

  • All Requirements of the SUU program apply

Medical Evaluation

• Employees who are required to wear tight fitting respirators must pass a medical evaluation before being permitted to wear a respirator on the job.

• Medical evaluations must be provided by a physician, or other licensed healthcare professional (PLHCP).

  • SUU Certified Registered Nurse

  • Intermountain WorkMed 962 South Sage Drive.

• Questionnaire

• Follow-up medical exams will be granted to employees as required by the standard, and/or as deemed necessary by the medical practitioner.

• Additional medical evaluations will be provided under the following circumstances:

  • Employee reports signs and/or symptoms related to their ability to use a respirator, such as shortness of breath, dizziness, chest pains, or wheezing.

  • A physician informs the Program Administrator that the employee needs to be reevaluated;

  • Information from the program, including observations made during fit testing and program evaluation, indicates a need for reevaluation;

  • A change occurs in workplace conditions that may result in an increased physiological burden on the employee.

Fit Testing

• Fit Testing is required for SUU employees who are required to wear respirators and will be fit tested:

  • Prior to being allowed to wear any respirator with a tight fitting facepiece.

  • Annually.

  • When there are changes in the employee's physical condition that could affect respiratory fit (e.g., obvious change in body weight, facial scarring, etc.).

• Fit Tested with the Make, model, and size

Initial Fit Testing

• Employees must be “fit tested” before initial respirator use and then annually thereafter.

• Two types of tests: qualitative and quantitative

Qualitative – user determines if he/she can smell the testing agent being used

Quantitative – instruments detect the agent

Storage

Protect from adverse effects and damage caused by:

• Contamination

• Dust

• Sunlight

• Temperature/moisture extremes

• Damaging chemicals (direct contact/vapors)

Pack to prevent deformation of parts

Training

• The Program Administrator and qualified Supervisors will provide training

• Employees will be retrained annually or as needed

Hazard Compatibility

Respirator shall be appropriate for chemical state and physical form of contaminant.

Types of Respirators

Respiratory Hazards

There are two main types of respiratory hazards: oxygen deficiency and airborne contaminants.

Start Respiratory Protection in GI video at 1:15

Airborne contaminants include:

• Dusts (e.g. from sawing or grinding)

• Mists (e.g. from spray painting)

• Vapors (gaseous forms of a liquid)

• Fumes (e.g. from welding operations)

• Gasses (e.g. nitrogen, methane)

Respiratory Protection

Respirators shall be provided when necessary to protect  the health of employees from breathable hazards (should be used as last choice, not first choice!)

Respirators shall be used in the following circumstances:

• Where exposure levels exceed the permissible exposure limit, or PEL, during time period necessary to install or implement feasible engineering/work practice controls.

• In regulated areas.

• Where employer has implemented all feasible engineering and work practice controls and these are not sufficient to reduce exposures to or below the PEL.

Selection of Respirators

Example:

Workplace concentration is 30 ppm and the PEL is 5 ppm. The protection factor needed is 6 (30/5)

Ensure that the respirator can also remove the contaminant with an appropriate cartridge or supplying breathable air. 

Respirator MUC is calculated by Multiplying its APF by the PEL. The respirator can be used up to this concentration as long as the MUC doesn’t exceed the IDLH level. 

Maximum Use Concentration (MUC)

A respirator may not be used at a concentration greater than the contaminant's occupational exposure limit times the assigned protection factor for the type of respirator used. This is called the Maximum Use Concentration of the respirator. It is determined by multiplying the Occupational Exposure Limit by the APF.

MUC = OEL X APF

• Do NOT apply MUCs to IDLH conditions!

• Use respirators approved for IDLH conditions.

• When calculated MUC exceeds IDLH level, set maximum MUC at lower limit.