756 Respiratory Protection

The Respiratory Protection Program

A suitably trained program administrator should administer the written plan. Also, certain program elements may be required for voluntary use to prevent potential hazards associated with the use of the respirator.

Essential Elements of a Respiratory Protection Program

Employers can't just hand out respirators and expect to protect their employees. If employers evaluate your workplace, find respiratory hazards, and determine respirators are necessary to protect employees, employers must develop a respiratory protection program.

An effective program ensures employees are medically able to use respirators, their respirators fit properly, and they know how to use and care for them.

It must include a written plan that contains the following elements:

• procedures for selecting respirators for use in the workplace;
• medical evaluations for those persons required to use respirators;
• fit testing procedures for tight-fitting respirators;
• use of respirators in routine and reasonably foreseeable emergency escape situations;
• procedures and schedules for cleaning, disinfecting, storing, inspecting, repairing, and otherwise maintaining respirators;
• procedures to ensure adequate air quality, quantity, and flow of breathing air for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA);
• training employees in the respiratory hazards to which they are potentially exposed;
• training employees on the proper use of respirators, including putting on and removing them, any limitations on their use, and maintenance procedures; and
• procedures for regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

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