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RESPIRATOR PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS - ISSUANCE AND ASSIGNMENT OF RESPIRATORS

1. Required Use of Respirators

If an employee is required to wear any respirator by the employer (including filtering facepieces, half face or full face), then the employee is to be placed in the MSU Respiratory Protection Program.

The following are examples of required use situations:

a) Where a respirator is not required by law, but is still required by the employer.

b) When a hazard assessment determines that airborne contaminant concentrations of contaminants require a respirator to protect employee health.

c) When the standard Personal Protective Equipment for a task includes a respirator (i.e. cleaning a boiler, painting).

Inclusion in the program requires a medical exam from Olin, fit testing, training and provisions of a cartridge change out program from the ORCBS.

2. Voluntary Use of Respirators

When an employee chooses to use a dust mask for comfort, and not for protection against levels of contaminants that would require respiratory protection, the employee does not need training or fit testing. If an employee chooses to use a respirator with a tight fitting facepiece (i.e. a rubber half face) for comfort, then employee must be placed in the MSU respiratory protection program.

It is largely the responsibility of the supervisor to assure that employees wearing dust masks on a voluntary basis do not wear these respirators in a situation that would require a respirator, such as above the exposure limit or action level. Call the ORCBS to evaluate respiratory hazards.

The following are examples of voluntary use situations that do not require employees to be in the respiratory protection program:

a) Wearing a dust mask for comfort while sweeping a floor.

b) Wearing a dust mask while weighing a non-toxic powdered chemical in a lab.

c) Wearing a dust mask for comfort while sifting soil samples.

The following are examples of voluntary use situations that require employees to be in the respiratory protection program:

a) Wearing a rubber half face respirator for comfort while sweeping a floor.

b) Wearing a full face respirator for comfort while working with a chemical that smells bad.

c) A pregnant woman wearing a respirator to keep exposure to a chemical as low as possible.

Respiratory Protection for Potentially Infectious Agents

Respiratory Protection Program