Employees should use respirators for protection against contaminants in the air, especially if the hazard control methods are not possible or practical due to specific circumstances. Respirators should not be your first choice for ensuring overall respiratory protection in the workplace.
It is vital to remember that they should be used in specific situations. When other categories that are part of hierarchy of control are impossible to implement or lack the effectiveness such as administrative, engineering, substation and elimination controls. You should enter here to learn more about respiratory protection.
At the same time, you should use them while engineering controls are repaired and installed, especially if they become ineffective. When emergency or specific temporary situations arise, such as chemical release and maintenance operations, you should use them as well.
How Should You Control Respiratory Hazards?
It is vital to remember that respiratory hazards can feature airborne contaminants such as dust, biological contaminants, fumes, mists and gases. Apart from these, the problem can happen due to oxygen deficiency, which is vital to remember. Understand that more than one hazard can happen at the same time.
When it comes to hazard control, you should adopt a program that uses all necessary steps to protect employees from exposure to hazardous substances. We are talking about procedures and training required to monitor overall health and exposure to hazards such as materials, chemicals and substances, other types of hazards such as vibration and noise.
A written hazard control program should completely outline the methods you use to deal with the exposure and control the situation, which will ensure overall effectiveness. After taking advantage of substitution and elimination, well-maintained and designed engineering controls include preferred methods of controlling employee exposure to contaminants.
We are talking about methods such as:
- Isolation or enclosure of the work equipment and process
- Overall modifications
- Mechanical ventilation
Administrative controls are most effective when combined with different control measures. That way, you can limit overall exposure by scheduling reduced work times in contaminated areas or using respirators as the protection.
Essential Elements for Respiratory Protection Program
It is vital to remember that employers must implement written and comprehensive respiratory protection program that specifically describes every single protocol and procedure for operating and selecting protective equipment. The proper use of respirator is essential as choosing the right option.
The respiratory protection program should address how to find out what hazards are essential, how much protection your employees require and describe how to care and wear the respirator.
Without a complete respiratory protection program, employees may not receive the best protection from a respirator. A protection program includes a few components, such as:
- Hazard control and identification
- Respirator selection
- Fit testing
- Training
- Record keeping and inspection
- Sanitizing and cleaning respirators
- Replacing, maintaining and repairing respirators
- Proper storage of respirators
You should remember that a reliable and qualified healthcare professional should examine psychological and medical fitness of workers. The evaluation is essential aspect of respirator clearance procedure, which will ensure everyone are fit to carry out the work with respiratory equipment.
They must be psychologically comfortable when wearing respirators, which mean they should not be claustrophobic. People with long sideburns, beards and stubble may not be able to wear them because the hair can break the seal between the mask and skin. Wearing eyeglasses could break respirator seal as well.
The break leads to leakage and will not provide the respiratory protection. Besides, if someone has acne and facial scars, the mask may not fit properly due to sealing issues.
Different Types of Respirators
You should remember that two essential types are supplied-air respirators and air-purifier respirators. Air-purified respirators can easily remove contaminants in the air that you breathe by filtering out particulates such as metal fumes, dusts and mist.
Other options can help you purify air by implementing absorbing vapors and gases through adsorbing materials in canister or cartridge. They are tight fitting, meaning you can use options in various forms, such as:
- Mouth Bit – Fits in the mouth and comes with nose clip to hold them closed, which are perfect for escape purposes.
- Quarter – It covers the mouth and nose
- Half-Facepiece – It covers face from the nose below the chin
- Full Facepiece – It covers face above the eyes and below the chin
On the other hand, supplied-air respirators supply clean air from compressed air tank. The air is not for the working place. The air comes in tanks or from compressor, meaning it should meet specific standards for moisture content and purity. Visit this link: https://vimeo.com/207799782 to learn more about this particular topic.
Supplied-air respirators can be either loose fitting or tight fitting. Tight-fitting options come with either half or full-facepieces. On the other hand, loose-fitting options can feature helmets and hoods that cover neck and head. They are supplied with air through airlines, which is vital to remember. The main idea is to find the one that will match your needs and requirements.
