Respirators should only be used as a "last
line of defense" when engineering control
systems are not feasible. Engineering
control systems, such as adequate
ventilation or scrubbing of contaminants
should be used to negate the need for
respirators.
GENERAL USE CONDITIONS
JOB TASK DESCRIPTION
DURATION AND FREQUENCY OF USE
LOCATION OF USE
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
MEDICAL CLEARANCE
NIOSH recommends that air sampling be
conducted to determine exposure levels found in
the workplace. A combination of air sampling and
exposure modeling is often used to make
reasonable estimates of exposure. Ideally, this
determination should be made by a professional
industrial hygienist.
PRIOR TO USING A RESPIRATOR
YOU MUST
 BE
TRAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
OSHA STANDARD
 BE MEDICALLY CLEARED TO USE A
RESPIRATOR
 SELECT THE PROPER MASK
 BE FITTED FOR THAT MASK
RESPIRATOR SELECTION
 BASED
ON
SPECIFIC THREAT
 BASED ON
QUANTITY OR AIR
CONCENTRATION
OF THREAT
THREATS
 OXYGEN
DEFICIENT ATMOSPHERE
 IDLH ATMOSPHERES
 UNKNOWN LEVEL OF CONTAMINANT
 HARMFUL PARTICULATES
 HARMFUL GASSES OR VAPORS
OXYGEN DEFICIENT
ATMOSPHERES
 BREATHING
AIR IS COMPOSED OF A
MIXTURE OF SEVERAL GASSES
 OXYGEN COMPRISES 19%
 BODY FUNCTION DETERIORATES AT
LESS THAN 19% OXYGEN
CAUSES OF OXYGEN
DEFICIENCY
 OXYGEN
CONSUMPTION
 OXYGEN DILUTION
 OXYGEN SUBSTITUTION
OXYGEN CONSUMPTION
AVAILABLE O2 IS USED UP THROUGH
BREATHING, WORK PROCESS OR
ACCIDENT/EMERGENCY
OXYGEN DILUTION
INCREASING THE PERCENTAGE OF ONE
OR MORE GASSES BRINGS DOWN
THE PERCENTAGE OF OXYGEN
OXYGEN SUBSTITUTION
CERTAIN GASSES SUCH AS CARBON
MONOXIDE OR CYANIDE CAN
INTERFERE WITH THE DELIVERY OF
OXYGEN TO THE CELLS IN OUR BODY
PARTICULATES





SOLIDS IN THE AIR
MAY BE LIQUIDS (MISTS &
SPRAYS)
MAY BE FUMES (METAL
PARTICLES RELEASED
BY HEATING)
SOME BE VERY HARMFUL
(LEAD & ASBESTOS)
OTHERS MAY BE
NUISANCE DUSTS
GASSES AND VAPORS





EASILY DIFFUSE
THROUGHOUT A
ROOM
MAY HAVE COLOR
MAY HAVE ODOR
MAY BE IRRITATING
MAY HAVE NO
IDENTIFYING
PROPERTIES
TYPES OF RESPIRATORS
POSITIVE PRESSURE
 POWERED
BY YOUR LUNGS
 DRAWS CONTAMINANT TOWARDS
THE MASK
 LOWER END OF PROTECTION SCALE
½ MASKS
DUST MASKS
FULL FACE MASKS
POSITIVE PRESSURE






SUPPLIES AIR TO THE USER
COMPRESSED AIR TANKS
COMPRESSOR
POWERED AIR-PURIFYING
RESPIRATOR (PAPR)
PUSHES CONTAMINANT AWAY
FROM THE MASK
HIGH END OF PROTECTION SCALE
COMPRESSED AIR
 GRADE
D QUALITY
 19% OXYGEN & REMAINING GASSES
EQUAL TO ROOM AIR
 WATER VAPOR
 HYDROCARBONS
 DELIVERED BY TANKS OR
COMPRESSORS
GRADE D AIR
COMPRESSORS






SPECIFIC FOR RESPIRATOR USE
SUBJECT TO FAILURE
LOCATION OF INLET CRITICAL
SYNTHETIC AND OIL LUBRICATED MODELS
OIL LUBRICATED MUST HAVE CARBON
MONOXIDE MONITOR AND ALARM
FILTERS REMOVE
CONTAMINANTS
NOT ALL COMPRESSORS ARE
CREATED EQUAL!
EMERGENCY ESCAPE BA

FOR IMMEDIATE ESCAPE
FROM IDLH ATMOSPHERES
 5, 10 OR 15 MINUTE AIR
SUPPLY DEPENDENT ON
THE UNIT AND/OR USER
 MANDATORY FOR
CONFINED SPACE AND
IDLH
RESPIRATOR SELECTION
 OXYGEN
DEFICIENT ATMOSPHRES
 IMMEDIATELY DANGEROUS TO LIFE
AND HEALTH ATMOSPHERES (IDLH)
RESPIRATOR CHOICES
SELF CONTAINED BREATHING
APPARATUS
TYPE C SYSTEM WITH AN
ESCAPE SCBA
SCBA APPLICATIONS
 FIRE
FIGHTING
 CBRN RESPONSE
 GENERAL INDUSTRY
SCBA LIMITS
 PRIMARILY
LIMITED BY TIME OF TASK
 TANKS RATED FOR 15, 30, 45 OR 60
MINUTES
 PHYSICAL CONDITION OF USER
 PHYSICAL EXERTION
 STRESS
 WEIGHT OF UNIT
PROTECTION FACTOR

EACH RESPIRATOR TYPE HAS AN ASSIGNED
PROTECTION FACTOR (APF)
 APF IS USED IN RESPIRATOR SELECTION
½ MASK
10
FULL FACEPIECE
50
APFs
 OSHA
PEL IS THE MAXIMUM
ALLOWABLE LEVEL OF CONTAMINANT
EXPOSURE IN THE RESPIRATOR
 APF MULTIPLIED BY THE PEL IS THE
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE LEVEL OF
CONTAMINANT OUTSIDE THE MASK
 EXAMPLE
½ MASK APF = 10
ASBESTOS PEL = 0.1 f/cc
HIGHEST TOLERABLE LEVEL INSIDE
THE MASK = 0.1 f/cc
HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OUTSIDE
THE MASK = 1 f/cc
10 (APF) x 0.1 f/cc (PEL) = 1 f/cc
RESPIRATOR SELECTION
 PARTICULATES
FILTERS
FILTER EFFICIENCY VARIES
N-100
N-99
N-95
P-100
P-99
P-95
R-100
R-99
P-95
EFFECTIVE AT 0.3 MICRONS
99.97%
99%
95%
NRP
N = NON RESISTANT TO OIL
OK FOR SOLID & WATER BASED
AEROSOLS
R = RESISTANT TO OIL
OK FOR SOLID & WATER BASED
AEROSOLS
P = RESISTANT TO OIL
OK FOR SOLID & WATER BASED
AEROSOLS
FILTER CHANGES




IN GENERAL, REPLACE IF DAMAGED, SOILED,
NOTICEABLE BREATHING RESISTANCE
N FILTERS EVERY 8 HOURS IF HEAVY DUST LOAD
UNLESS DETERMINED TO BE EFFECTIVE BEYOND 8
HOURS (NIOSH)
P FILTERS EVERY 8 HOURS IF OIL AEROSOL IS
PRESENT UNLESS DETERMINED TO BE EFFECTIVE
BEYOND 8 HOURS (NIOSH)
R FILTERS CHANGES BASED ON MANUFACTURER’S
RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN OIL IS PRESENT

Although odor should not be relied on for
cartridge/canister change out, workers should be
trained to exit the contaminated area whenever
they detect the odor or experience any irritation
symptoms of the contaminant.
 If workers are detecting the odor before the end
of the change schedule, the respirator program
administrator should reevaluate this respirator
use; i.e., the change schedule, the workplace
concentrations or the other use conditions
(relative humidity (RH), work rate, etc.).
FILTER/CARTRIDGE CODES

COLOR CODED BY
CONTENTS AND
CONTAMINANTS
 INDUSTRY WIDE
STANDARD
OLIVE
COMBINATION
WHITE
ACID GAS
BLACK
ORGANICS
GREEN
AMMONIA GAS
YELLOW
AG/OV
PURPLE
N-100
ORANGE
R-100, 99,
P-99, 95
TEAL (NO OIL)
N-100, 99, 95
How to inspect, put on and remove, use,
and check the seals of the respirator
 Prior
to the selection process, the test
subject shall be shown how to put on a
respirator, how it should be positioned on
the face, how to set strap tension and how
to determine an acceptable fit.
Negative pressure check
CLOSE OFF THE INLET OPENING OF THE
FILTER, CANISTER OR CARTRIDGE
USE HANDS, LATEX GLOVE CAN BE USED IF
HANDS CAN NOT BLOCK THE INLET
INHALE LIGHTLY AND HOLD FOR 10
SECONDS
FACEPIECE SHOULD COLLAPSE SLIGHLTY
NO INWARD LEAKAGE SHOULD BE NOTED
Positive pressure check
 CLOSE
OFF THE EXHALATION VALVE
 GENTLY EXHALE INTO THE MASK
 PRESSURE IN THE MASK SHOULD
INCREASE
 NO OUTWARD LEAKAGE SHOULD BE
DETECTABLE
USER SEAL CHECK





USED FOR TIGHT FITTING MASKS
NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR QUALITATIVE OR
QUANTITATIVE FIT TESTING
USED EACH TIME A RESPIRATOR IS PUT ON
USE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE PRESSURE
CHECK
MAY SUBSTITUTE MANUFACTURER’S USER
SEAL CHECK METHOD
FACIAL HAIR
The employer shall not permit
respirators with tight-fitting
facepieces to be worn by
employees who have facial hair that
comes between the sealing surface
of the facepiece and the face or that
interferes with valve function or any
condition that interferes with the
face-to-facepiece seal or valve
function.
Facial hair
 The
test shall not be conducted if there is
any hair growth between the skin and the
facepiece sealing surface, such as stubble
beard growth, beard, mustache or
sideburns which cross the respirator
sealing surface. Any type of apparel which
interferes with a satisfactory fit shall be
altered or removed.
QUANTITATIVE FIT TESTING





OBJECTIVE TEST
MEASURES LEVELS OF AMBIENT DUST
OUTSIDE AND INSIDE FACE PIECE
COMPARES OUTSIDE TO INSIDE DUST
LEVELS
ESTABLISHED TOLERANCES
MUST BE USED IF FIT FACTOR IS OVER 100
FIT FACTORS
TIGHT FITTING MASK
FIT FACTOR
½ MASK
100
FULL FACEPIECE
500
WHAT IS THE FIT FACTOR?
FIT FACTOR OF 100 MEANS
NO MORE THAN
ONE PARTICLE
OF DUST IN THE
MASK
FOR
EVERY 100
PARTICLES OF
DUST OUTSIDE THE
MASK
QUALITATIVE FIT TEST
 SUBJECTIVE
 CHALLENGE
AGENT
IRRITANT SMOKE (STANNIC CHLORIDE)
ODOR (BANANA OIL)
TASTE (SACCHARINE, BITREX)
MAY BE USED IF FIT FACTOR TO BE
ACHIEVED IS 100 OR LESS
RESPIRATOR CLEANING

General procedures for cleaning respirators
 May use alternative cleaning recommendations
provided by the manufacturer of the respirators
provided such procedures are as effective
 Must ensure that the respirator is properly
cleaned and disinfected in a manner that
prevents damage to the respirator and does not
cause harm to the user.
RESPIRATOR CLEANING
 Respirators
issued to more than one
employee shall be cleaned and disinfected
before being worn by different individuals
 Respirators maintained for emergency use
shall be cleaned and disinfected after each
use
 Respirators used in fit testing and training
shall be cleaned and disinfected after each
use