Respiratory Protection
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION CONTROL PROGRAM
Company Name:
_____________________________ (name
of shop)
Respirator Program Coordinator: The respirator program
coordinator is responsible for ensuring that all the requirements of this
program are fully implemented. The person designated as the coordinator
is: _____________________________________
(name of person responsible for this task)
1. Purpose
This program has been developed to assure appropriate
respiratory protection for the employees of this facility. This program
has been developed in accordance with the OSHA respiratory protection
standard, 29 CFR 1910.134.
To protect the health of the employee, respirators shall
be provided to employees when needed for respiratory protection. The respirator
program coordinator will be responsible for ensuring that proper procedures
are followed for selecting respiratory protection. Only NIOSH approved
respirators will be used at this facility.
2. Respirator Usage
Where elastomeric facepiece respirators are to be used,
the employees will be provided with a selection of respirators of at least
three sizes for each type of facepiece, half-face or full-face. The selection
for this facility will be:_____________________________ (fill
in types of respirators)
In addition, the following shall be determined by the
respiratory protection program coordinator:
(1) the nature of the hazard
(2) the physical and chemical properties of the contaminant
(3) adverse health effects of the respiratory hazard
(4) hazardous exposure levels
(5) results of sampling of airborne concentrations of
contaminants
(6) respirator fit test results
(7) warning properties of the hazardous chemical
(8) the physical characteristics, functional capabilities,
and limitations of the various types of respirators
Respirators, when they are required by the employer to
be worn, will be provided to the employees at no cost.
Employees who need to wear full face respirators and
who need corrective glasses will be provided with insert glasses for fitting
in the full face respirator.
3. Medical Evaluations
Medical evaluations will be provided to employees who
are required to wear respirators. The medical evaluations will be conducted
by employee’s doctor.
Records of the evaluations will be maintained by_________________________
(name of person responsible for this task).
The physician will provide the company with an opinion stating whether
the employee may wear a respirator.
4. Fit Testing of Respirators
For all employees required to wear a respirator, a fit
test will be conducted before initial use of the respirator and whenever
a different make or size is used, then semi-annually thereafter. The fit
test will be conducted in the following manner: (Qualitative
Fit Test, or by a physician)
In addition, employees will be refitted for respirators
as necessary when visual changes have been noticed, such as facial scarring,
weight gain or loss, and cosmetic surgery. The respirator program coordinator
will assure that this is accomplished through surveillance of the workplace
and consultation with supervisor(s).
Records of respirator fit-test results will be maintained
by _______________________ (name of person responsible
for this task) for a period of ten years.
5. Training
Employees will be trained concerning the usage of respirators
as well as the limitations of respirators. Training will consist of the
following:
1) Providing employees the opportunity to handle the
respirator, have it fitted properly, test its facepiece-to-face seal,
wear it in normal air for a long familiarity period, and to wear it in
a test atmosphere,
2) Demonstrations and practice concerning how the respirator
will be worn, how to adjust it, and how to determine if it fits properly,
3) Providing an understanding concerning when the respirator
is to be worn as well as the limitations of the respirator.
Employees will not wear respirators which require a face
seal when there is interfering facial hair. Such employees will be provided
with respirators which do not require a face seal, such as one with a
hood or helmet.
Employees who must wear corrective glasses and a full
face respirator will be provided with corrective glasses inserts for the
full face respirator. Such corrective glasses inserts will be provided
at no cost to the employee.
The following procedures are in place to ensure the periodic
review of the effectiveness of the respirator program:
Bi-monthly, on Friday afternoons, respirators will
be inspected by the Respirator Program Coordinator for wear and trear
of the respirators along with mandatory weekly cleaning of the respirators.
Coordinator will hold a meeting at the same time with the employee(s)
as to mandatory wearing of the respirators in an hazardous environment.
Meetings will be recorded in a log book that is maintained in the storage
cabinet with the respirators.
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