Policies and Procedures for Using Respirators
Written Procedures
It is important to develop standard procedures for respirator use. These should include all information and guidance necessary for their proper selection, use, and care. Also include possible emergency and routine uses of respirators.
Physical Ability to Use
Make sure employees are not assigned to tasks requiring respirators unless they are physically able to adequately perform the work and use the equipment. If there is any question or concern 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 Protection
To assure proper protection, check the facepiece fit using the manufacturer's facepiece fittings instructions, each time he or she puts on the respirator.
Do not wear respirators when conditions prevent a good face seal. Such conditions may be a growth of beard, sideburns, a skull cap that projects under the facepiece, or temple pieces on glasses. Also, the absence of one or both dentures can seriously affect the fit of a facepiece. It's important to conduct periodic evaluation of worker compliance with this requirement.
Corrective Glasses or Goggles
Corrective glasses or goggles, or other personal protective equipment, must be worn in such a way that does not interfere with the seal of the facepiece to the face. In some cases, a full-facepiece respirator or powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) may be more comfortable and less cumbersome than the combination of a half-mask and chemical goggles. OSHA's current standard on respiratory protection allows the use of contact lenses with respirators where the wearer has successfully worn such lenses before. However, wearing contact lenses in contaminated atmospheres is not permitted.
If corrective spectacles or goggles are required, they must not affect the fit of the facepiece.
Skin or Eye Irritation
Skin or eye irritation can result from wearing a respirator in hot, humid conditions as well as in contaminated environments. Irritation can cause considerable distress to employees, causing them to remove or adjust the respirator or to stop using the respirator at all. To prevent skin or eye irritation employees should leave the respirator use area to wash their faces and respirator facepieces as needed.
Vapor or Gas Breakthrough
Whenever the employee can detect vapor or gas breakthrough (by odor, taste, and/or irritation effects) or a change in breathing resistance or leakage of the facepiece, the employee must leave the respirator use area to replace the respirator or the filter, cartridge, or canister elements.
Impairments
Because respirators must be in good working condition to function, they should not be used if they have been impaired in any way. Impairments include a broken strap, loss of respirator shape, and a face seal that can no longer be maintained. Respirators that are not properly functioning must be replaced, repaired, or discarded.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-4. Which of the following conditions could prevent a good respirator face seal?
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