756 Respiratory Protection

Checklist for Respirator Selection

Use this checklist during your respiratory protection program audits and inspections:

General Requirements

• Respiratory hazards in your workplace have been identified and evaluated.
• Employee exposures that have not been, or cannot be, evaluated must be considered IDLH.
• Respirators are NIOSH-certified and used under the conditions of certification.
• Respirators are selected based on the workplace hazards evaluated and workplace and user factors affecting respirator performance and reliability.
• Respirators are selected based on the APFs and calculated MUCs.
• Provide a sufficient number of respirator sizes and models for proper selection.

IDLH Atmospheres

• Full facepiece pressure demand SARs with auxiliary SCBA unit or full facepiece pressure demand SCBAs, with a minimum service life of 30 minutes, are provided.
• Respirators used for escape only must be NIOSH-certified for the atmosphere in which they are used.
• Oxygen deficient atmospheres must be considered IDLH (d)(2)(B)(iii).

Non-IDLH Atmospheres

• Respirators selected are appropriate for the APFs and MUCs.
• Respirators selected are appropriate for the chemical nature and physical form of the contaminant.
• Air-purifying respirators used for protection against gases and vapors are equipped with End-of-Service-Life Indicators (ESLIs) or a change schedule has been implemented. The ESLI is a system that warns the user of the approach of the end of adequate respiratory protection; e.g., the sorbent is approaching saturation or is no longer effective. (See image to right.)

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