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654 Lead Safety in General Industry
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Respiratory Protection

A respirator is a device that protects you from inhaling dangerous substances, such as chemicals and infectious particles. Respirators are among the most important pieces of protective equipment for working in hazardous environments.

workers removing lead paint from an inside wall
Use respirators while removing paint.

Selecting the right respirator requires an assessment of all the workplace operations, processes or environments that may create a respiratory hazard. The identity of the hazard and its airborne concentrations need to be determined before choosing a respirator. This assessment should be done by an industrial hygienist or competent person.

Respirators work by:

  • filtering particles from the air,
  • chemically cleaning (purifying) the air, or
  • supplying clean air from an outside source.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

3-1. An assessment for respiratory protection should be done by _____.