Select the correct respirator for your exposure level.

The very first step in respiratory protection is selecting the correct respirator for the contaminants in the workplace.

According to OSHA’s eTool on respirator selection http:// www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ respiratory/respirator_selection. html, it’s the employer’s responsibility to characterize the nature and magnitude of breathable contaminants in the workplace. That includes reasonably estimating daily and foreseeable emergency employee exposures to those hazards.

While OSHA rules do not specifically tell employers how to make these estimates, it offers some advice on the process.

First, the employer must identify the airborne contaminant(s) and their characteristics and hazards. Is it a particulate, such as dust, fume, mist, aerosol, or a gas/vapor

Is it a chemical with a material safety data sheet that could offer some guidance

Is it a biological hazard, such as bacteria, mold, spores, fungi or virus?

Does the contaminant have any mandatory or recommended occupational exposure levels for the contaminant?

Lead or methylene chloride are two contaminants with OSHA exposure standards. Estimating exposure can be accomplished in several ways:

• Sampling: This is the most reliable approach. It should use methods appropriate for the contaminant(s) and should identify the worst-case exposures or should include samples from enough shifts and operations to determine the range of exposure.

• Objective information: Here, employers rely on information that indicates use or handling of the contaminant cannot, under worstcase conditions, create concentrations of a respiratory hazard above a level that triggers the need for a respirator or require a more protective respirator. This information can be based upon data about the physical and chemical properties of air contaminants, combined with information on room dimensions, air exchange rates, contaminant release rates, exposure patterns and work practices. Industry-wide surveyscompleted by trade associations or from stewardship programs operated by manufacturers can be used to identify employee exposure levels.

• Variation: Variation of exposure can by estimated by using exposure data that recognizes exposure variability or by using worst-case assumptions and then estimating the highest foreseeable employee exposure levels. Safety factors may be needed to account for uneven dispersion of the contaminant in the air and the proximity of the worker to the emission source.

Other respirator selection factors

A very tight work area or working around machinery or other obstructions may not permit the use of self-contained breathing apparatus, even though it might otherwise be an acceptable choice. A worker’s medical condition may make a negativepressure respirator an unacceptable choice.

Worker comfort must be a key consideration. Each style of respirator has its own drawbacks that should be taken into account during the selection process. Generally, powered air-purifying helmets have been subjectively rated the best for breathing ease, skin comfort and in mask temperature and humidity, but filtering face pieces have also received high comfort ratings.

Consider Assigned Protection Factors. A respirator’s Assigned Protection Factor (APF) reflects the level of protection a properly functioning respirator would be expected to provide to a population of properly fitted and trained users. For example, an APF of 10 for a respirator means the user could expect to inhale no more than one tenth of the airborne contaminant present. Employers must use the assigned protection factors listed in Table 1 to select a respirator that meets or exceeds the required level of employee protection.

Groups such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) have proposed factors for the different types of respirators. OSHA will enforce the APFs listed in its standards unless an alternative APF has been identified by a specific OSHA interpretation.

Use the Advisor Genius! to help you select the correct respirator.