Title: Respiratory Protection Program
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I.
Scope
The College of William and Mary’s Respiratory Protection Program represents the
commitment of workers and supervisors to identify and control airborne contamination
hazards.
II.
Purpose
Some air contaminants that may present respiratory hazards at William and Mary and the
processes that produce them include:
 Metal fumes, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide from metal grinding, cutting and welding
 Chemical vapors from experiments, maintenance work, or cleaning
 Acid mists or nitrogen dioxide from acid etching of metals
 Chemical vapors and particulates from mixing or pouring chemicals
 Chemical vapors from painting and epoxy handling and curing
 Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from combustion
 Chemical vapors from spraying potentially harmful products and aerosols.
Whenever feasible, the elimination of hazardous chemicals and work processes is the goal for
the reduction of respiratory hazards. The best way to achieve this goal is by substitution with
less hazardous chemicals and work methods.
Ventilation control of hazards is the next best method for dealing with airborne contaminants.
Ventilation is an engineering control for preventing occupational exposures to potentially
harmful air contaminants, heat, and microbiological hazards. Three types of ventilation can
be utilized: dilution ventilation, local exhaust ventilation, and laboratory fume hoods. The
selection and design of appropriate air handling and ventilation systems as an occupational
exposure control should be based on the results of hazard analysis, hazard identification, and
good engineering practice
Personal protective equipment in the form of respirators is required at William and Mary
whenever substitution and ventilation cannot feasibly reduce respiratory hazards to industryrecognized acceptable levels.
The program administrator for the Respiratory Protection Program at The College of William
and Mary is the Senior Safety Engineer, Environment, Health, and Safety Office.
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III.
Hazard Avoidance
a. To avoid exposure to airborne contaminants:
i. Be familiar with the potential hazards of materials, processes, and by-products
in your work area. A good initial reference is the Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
available
on
the
web
at
https://www.wm.edu/offices/facilities/services/safety/safetydatasheets/index.p
hp
ii. Recognize the presence of local exhaust and ventilation controls in your work
area.
iii. Check to see that such controls are working before performing your work.
iv. Restrict to controlled areas all processes which may generate significant
airborne contaminants.
v. Request an air quality assessment from your supervisor or an Environmental,
Health and Safety (EH&S) staff member whenever work processes change
which could introduce new air contaminants.
b. Avoid unnecessary use of respirators:
i. The use of any respirator presents a physiological burden. If the work
environment places other stressors on the body such as high temperature and
humidity, question the continued use of respirators.
ii. Note that you as a respirator user may not be the only person in the work area.
If others who are not wearing respirators risk exposure, then control must be
achieved using substitution or ventilation.
IV.
Respiratory Hazards:
a. Effects associated with overexposure to workplace-produced air contaminants can
include:
i. oxygen deficiency, loss of consciousness, death
ii. respiratory tract irritation
iii. sensitization, asthma-like allergic reaction
iv. nervous system effects
v. systemic poisoning
vi. metal fume fever
vii. irreversible lung scarring
viii. cancer
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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American
Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) are two organizations which
help to establish acceptable exposure limits for workplace air contaminants. However,
exposure limits are not available for all chemicals. There exist today well over 7 million
known chemicals, with over 100,000 chemicals in general use, yet there are less than 500
air contaminants for which exposure limits have been established.
An atmosphere which presents the potential for exposure above any recommended
exposure limit constitutes an unacceptable hazard, and requires controls to lower
exposures to below the recommended limit.
Cartridge respirators are not to be used for atmospheres with a potential IDLH
(Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) hazard. SCBA units will be utilized to
conduct investigations of suspect areas as well as to assist with fire department personnel
when requested.
V.
Responsibilities
a. Qualified Respirator Users
i. Maintain, store, and use your respirator(s) according to training
ii. Use assigned respirators only for the work for which they were selected
iii. Maintain current training to include the medical component and fit test. These
are annual requirements.
b. Supervisors
i. Consider air quality issues whenever evaluating and implementing new work
procedures.
ii. Request periodic air quality monitoring from any EH&S staff member for
processes which generate air contaminants.
iii. Provide standard ventilation controls wherever feasible, and monitor their
performance; monitoring may be requested through any EH&S staff member
iv. Ensure that all respirator use follows a written work procedure detailing the
task being completed.
v. Select and procure required respirators with the assistance of the EH&S
office.
c. Respiratory Protection Officer
i. Administer The College of William and Mary’s Respiratory Protection
Program in accordance with OSHA requirements:
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ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
1. Coordinate the approval of respirator use with supervisors
2. Issue respirators provided that there is a reasonable estimate for
concentration of the contaminant in air. Estimate can be obtained by
researching previous air monitoring results, or researching published
data on similar processes.
3. Maintain an inventory of respirators, accessories, and maintenance
items to be used and backfilled utilizing budgets associated with tasks
being completed
4. Coordinate training/fit testing for all respirator users.
5. Ensure that recordkeeping requirements are followed.
6. Adhere to medical recordkeeping requirements for Occupational
Health & Safety.
Conduct air monitoring for work procedures that may generate air
contaminants.
Evaluate employee exposure to air contaminants.
Survey work areas to identify new procedures/processes that may generate air
contaminants.
Maintain a record of air monitoring performed on campus.
Maintain air monitoring equipment for usage.
d. External Occupational Health & Safety Physician
i. Provide medical evaluation for respirator users. Evaluation must meet or
exceed evaluation that the OSHA required questionnaire provides.
ii. Investigate suspected workplace overexposures, based on results of medical
evaluation, using the assistance of EH&S Staff.
VI.
Qualifications
a. Qualified Respirator Users
i. Only those individuals who have completed a respirator qualification survey
may use respirators at The College of William and Mary. This respirator
qualification survey must be provided to the offsite physician to determine if
the user is approved to wear a respirator.
ii. Once the user is approved medically they must complete a fit test conducted
by the EH&S office and the associated training.
iii. Safety training will be provided as part of respirator qualification and will
cover:
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1. the nature and extent of the respiratory hazards to which the employee
may be exposed
2. an explanation of why engineering controls have not been
implemented
3. inspection requirements
4. proper care, use, storage and maintenance
5. selection and fit testing
6. limitations of respirators
7. recognition of emergencies that could arise as the result of wearing a
respirator
b. Users must re-qualify every 12 months.
c. Selection of the proper respirator and procedures for conducting a daily fit check will
be reviewed as part of the training. The College of William and Mary utilizes half
face and full face cartridge respirators as well as self-contained breathing apparatus
(SCBA).
d. Cartridge respirators are not to be used for atmospheres with a potential IDLH
(Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) hazard. SCBA units will be utilized to
conduct investigations of suspect areas as well to assist with fire department
personnel when requested.
e. The combination of the annual respirator physical, annual fit test, and safety training
qualifies an employee to use a respirator.
VII.
Program Summary
a. The decision to wear a respirator is never at the sole discretion of the employee. It is
a decision made by the supervisor and/or EH&S Staff only after the consideration of
substitution products, ventilation, or other engineering controls. Once the decision is
made for the employee to wear a respirator, it must be worn according to the
conditions of use described here.
b. Conditions of Use
i. Respirator Use for Routine Work
1. The supervisor/worker ensures that requirements for procurement,
selection, training, maintenance, and inspection are followed.
ii. Respirator Selection
1. Only NIOSH-approved respirators will be used where respirator use is
required at The College of William and Mary
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2. All procurements of required respirators shall be done with the
approval of the EH&S Staff.
3. All respirator selections shall be based on an assessment of the
respiratory hazards in the work environment.
4. All cartridge supplied respirators that do not have an end of service life
indicator shall have their cartridges discarded after 8 hours of use.
iii. Inspection and Assessment
1. Ventilation Controls Used for Airborne Contaminant Control
a. All ventilation controls must be monitored at least annually.
b. All ventilation controls must have written maintenance
procedures.
c. The selection of new ventilation controls shall be made with
assistance from EH&S staff.
c. Workplace Air Monitoring
i. Employees, with assistance from the EH&S staff, shall monitor the workplace
for respiratory hazards periodically and when developing new work
procedures or
introducing new chemicals.
d. Air Contaminant Exposure Limits
i. OSHA and the ACGIH establish exposure limits for workplace air
contaminants. William and Mary observe these limits. OSHA limits are
called Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) and are legally enforceable.
ACGIH limits are called Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) and serve as
guidelines. In many cases, ACGIH limits are more conservative than are
OSHA’s. The exposure limits are expressed as time-weighted averages.
Common reporting units are parts-per-million per eight-hour shift for gases
and vapors, and milligrams-per-cubic-meter per eight-hour shift for particulate
air contaminants. For highly toxic or fast-acting contaminants, the units are
averaged over a 15-minute interval and are called Short Term Exposure
Limits (STELs). Exposures at or below the exposure limits are considered to
represent minimal risk to health. Copies of the OSHA PELs and the ACGIH
TLVs are in the EH&S Office. For assistance in interpreting these levels, all
faculty/staff/students should consult with EH&S staff.
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e. Voluntary Respirator Use:
i. At the request of an employee, the supervisor can authorize the voluntary use
of respirators when the following conditions have been met:
1. The respirator user must be medically authorized by the EH&S
selected outside physician prior to using a voluntary respirator.
2. Voluntary use respirators must not be worn in an environment that
exceeds any safety guidelines or regulatory requirements, to include
ACGIH TLVs, PELs, and IDLHs.
3. Evidence that these conditions have been met will be documented by
the EH&S office and maintained on file.
f. Program evaluation:
Periodic evaluation of the respiratory protection program at William and Mary
will be conducted by the Senior Safety Engineer.
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Attachments
Attachment 1 – respirator questionnaire to be completed and given to physician
Attachment 2 – OSHA appendix D pertaining to voluntary use respirators
Attachment 3 – proper cleaning for respirators
Attachment 4 - respirator descriptions
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Attachment 1
Title: Respiratory Protection Program
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Attachment 2
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Attachment 3
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Attachment 4
Types of Respirators
Air Purifying Respirators
Air-purifying respirators are used against particulates (such as smoke or fumes), gases, and
vapors that are at atmospheric concentrations less than immediately dangerous to life and health.
The air-purifying respirator class includes:


negative-pressure respirators, using mechanical filters and chemical media
positive-pressure units such as powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs)
Full hoods, half- or full-facepiece designs of this type are marketed in many varieties depending
on the hazard of concern. They use a filter which acts passively on air inhaled by the wearer. The
most common of these is the disposable white N95 variety. The entire unit is discarded after
some extended period or a single use, depending on the contaminant. Filter masks also come in
replaceable-cartridge, multiple-use models. Typically one or two cartridges attach securely to a
mask which has built into it a corresponding number of valves for inhalation and one for
exhalation. The College utilizes all the above mentioned types of air purifying respirators.
Different manufacturers and models are available to provide the best fit for the wearer.
Cartridges are selected based on the particular hazard.

Mechanical filter respirators
Mechanical filter respirators retain particulate matter when contaminated air is passed
through the filter material. Since the filters cannot be cleaned and reused they have a
limited lifespan
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Mechanical filters remove contaminants from air in the following ways:
1. by particles which are following a line of flow in the airstream coming within one
radius of a fiber and adhering to it, called interception;
2. by larger particles unable to follow the curving contours of the airstream being forced
to embed in one of the fibers directly, called impaction; this increases with
diminishing fiber separation and higher air flow velocity
3. by an enhancing mechanism called diffusion, which is a result of the collision with
gas molecules by the smallest particles, especially those below 100 nm in diameter,
which are thereby impeded and delayed in their path through the filter; this effect is
similar to Brownian motion and raises the probability that particles will be stopped by
either of the two mechanisms above; it becomes dominant at lower air flow velocities
4. by using certain resins, waxes, and plastics as coatings on the filter material to attract
particles with an electrostatic charge that holds them on the surface of the filter
material;
5. by using gravity and allowing particles to settle into the filter material (this effect is
typically negligible); and
6. by using the particles themselves, after the filter has been used, to act as a filter
medium for other particles.
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For maximum efficiency of particle removal and to decrease resistance to airflow through
the filter, particulate filters are designed to keep the velocity of air passing through the
filter medium as low as possible. This is achieved by manipulating the slope and shape of
the filter to provide larger surface area.

Chemical cartridge respirators
Chemical cartridge respirators use a cartridge to remove gases, volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), and other vapors from breathing air by adsorption, absorption, or
chemisorption. A typical organic vapor respirator cartridge is a metal or plastic case
containing from 25 to 40 grams of sorption media such as activated charcoal or certain
resins. The service life of the cartridge varies based, among other variables, on the carbon
weight and molecular weight of the vapor and the cartridge media, the concentration of
vapor in the atmosphere, the relative humidity of the atmosphere, and the breathing rate
of the respirator wearer. When filter cartridges become saturated or particulate
accumulation within them begins to restrict air flow, they must be changed.

Powered air-purifying respirators
The purpose of this type of respirator is to take air that is contaminated with one or more
types of pollutants, remove a sufficient quantity of those pollutants and then supply the
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air to the user. There are different units for different environments. The units consist of a
powered fan which forces incoming air through one or more filters for delivery to the
user for breathing. The type of filtering must be matched to the contaminants that need to
be removed. Some respirators are designed to remove fine particulate matter such as the
dust created during various woodworking processes. When used in combination with the
correct filters they are suitable for working with volatile organic compounds such as
those used in many spray paints. At the same time filters that are suitable for volatile
substances must typically have their filter elements replaced more often than a particulate
filter. Air purifying respirators are used on individuals with facial hair or with issues
getting an adequate fit with other respirators.
Supplied Air Respirator
The College currently utilizes Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) units manufactured
by MSA. A SCBA is a device worn to provide breathable air in an IDLH (Immediate Danger to
Life and Health) atmosphere. The term "self-contained" means that the breathing set is not
dependent on a remote supply of air (e.g., through a long hose). An SCBA typically has three
main components: a high-pressure tank (e.g., 2200 psi to 4500 psi), a pressure regulator, and an
inhalation connection (mouthpiece, mouth mask or face mask), connected together and mounted
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to a carrying frame. The College utilizes 2200 psi tanks. The SCBA is an open-circuit industrial
breathing set. These are filled with filtered, compressed air, rather than pure oxygen. Opencircuit systems have two regulators; a first stage to reduce the pressure of air to allow it to be
carried to the mask, and a second stage regulator to reduce it even further to a level just above
standard atmospheric pressure. An open-circuit SCBA has a full face mask, regulator, air
cylinder, cylinder pressure gauge, and a harness with adjustable shoulder straps and waist belt
which lets it be worn on the back. The relative fitness, and especially the level of exertion of the
wearer, often results in variations of the actual usable time that the SCBA can provide air, often
reducing the working time by 25% to 50%. The composite cylinder requires a 5 year hydrostatic
test by an outside agency. In order to fill the units after use an agreement with the Williamsburg
Fire Department has been reached. The units are to be taken to the fire department and the
battalion chief on duty notified of the request to fill the cylinders. Fire department personnel will
inspect the cylinder for damage and a proper hydro date prior to filling the unit.
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