Using Respirators
Written procedures: It's important to develop standard procedures for respirator use. These should include all necessary information and guidance for proper selection, use, and care of respirators. They should also include possible emergency and routine uses of respirators.
Respiratory Fit Testing
Physical ability to use: Ensure employees are not assigned to tasks requiring respirators unless they are physically able to adequately perform the work and use the equipment. If there are any questions or concerns about using the respirator, a local physician must determine what health and physical conditions are pertinent. In such cases, periodically review the respirator user's medical status.
Face seal: Employees should not wear respirators if anything prevents a proper face seal. This could be due to facial hair like a beard or sideburns, a skull cap that interferes with the facepiece, or the frames of glasses. Also, missing one or both dentures can significantly affect how well the facepiece fits. It's important to conduct periodic evaluation of worker compliance with this requirement. To assure proper protection, the facepiece fit must be checked by the wearer, using the manufacturer's facepiece fittings instructions, each time he or she puts on the respirator.
Using corrective lenses: Providing respiratory protection for individuals wearing corrective glasses is a serious problem. A proper seal is impossible if the temple bars of eye glasses extend through the sealing edge of the full facepiece. As a temporary measure, taping glasses with short temple bars or without temple bars to the wearer's head is acceptable. Systems have been developed for mounting corrective lenses inside full facepieces. When a worker must wear corrective lenses as part of the facepiece, the facepiece and lenses must be fitted by qualified individuals to provide good vision, comfort, and a gas-tight seal.
If corrective spectacles or goggles are required, they must not affect the fit of the facepiece. Proper selection of equipment is important to avoid this problem.
Using contact lenses: OSHA Technical Manual states that OSHA's current standard on respiratory protection, unlike the previous one, allows the use of contact lenses with respirators where the wearer has successfully worn such lenses before.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-8. Why might beards, sideburns, or temple pieces on glasses prevent the safe use of a respirator?
You forgot to answer the question!