Do you know whether or not the chemicals or products you are using on the jobsite requires you to wear a respirator? Do you know that you have to wear a respirator but not sure which type? Are you currently wearing a respirator but you’ve never been trained in how to properly wear it? If you answered NO, YES and YES to the above questions, you need to keep reading. This specific posting will cover requirements when wearing a particulate filter mask voluntarily on a construction site.
What is a respirator? A respirator is a device that protects you from inhaling dangerous substances such as chemicals and infectious particles. Respirators are among the most important pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for any workers in hazardous environments.
Choosing the correct type of respirator for the type of hazardous environment you’ll be working in is very important – you need to know if you can wear a respirator that can filter particles from the air, chemically clearing (purifying) the air or if you need clean air supplied to you from an outside source.
The first type of respirator mentioned is a particulate filter. This is the type of respirator we’ll be concentrating on today. This respirator is commonly called an “N-95”. They are disposable, very inexpensive and the least protective respirator available to a worker. A particulate respirator only protects from particles, such as dust in the air, by “cleaning” out particles before you breathe them in. A “dust mask” is also considered a particulate respirator often used by those in the medical community.
If a “dust mask” is voluntarily worn by an employee and the employer has decided that wearing it will not create a greater hazard, the employer must print out a copy of Appendix D from the Respiratory Protection standard from OSHA for the employee to read.
Even though an employee might voluntarily want to wear a “dust mask”, a medical evaluation should still be completed. The evaluation form is found under Appendix C of the Respiratory Protection standard from OSHA.
When you have an employee wearing a “dust mask” type of respirator, a seal check or fit check to determine if the respirator will work is very important. All respirators will come with directions for completing these checks for which ever respirator you decide to use. Here are example directions from one manufacturer for performing a fit test on a dust mask without a valve and one with a valve.
Particulate Respirator Without a Valve:
- Completely cover the outside of the respirator with both hands
- Ensure you do not push the respirator against your face
- With your hands in place on surface of respirator, exhale or breathe out sharply
- If you feel air blowing on your face or eyes, the respirator needs to be adjusted
- When the respirator is a good fit, you will not feel any air blowing on your face or eyes
- If you cannot get a good fit, try a different respirator model
Filtering Face Piece with Valve
- Completely cover the outside of the respirator with both hands
- Ensure you do not push the respirator against your face
- With your hands in place on the surface of the respirator, inhale or breathe in sharply. The respirator should collapse slightly.
- If air leaks between the face and the faceseal of the respirator, the respirator needs to be adjusted
- If you feel air leaking between the face and faceshield, the respirator needs to be adjusted
- When the respirator is a good fit, you will not feel any air blowing on your face or eyes
- If you cannot get a good fit, try a different respirator model
Fit testing or seal checks must be completed each and every time a respirator is put on by a worker, whether or not its voluntary. Keep in mind, to get a good seal on the respirator, you must be clean shaven. Make sure there is no hair, clothing or jewelry between the respirator and your skin.
Disposable respirators should never be borrowed between workers. Respirators must be thrown out if they become discolored or damaged – although there is no reason why workers should not wear a new respirator each day since they are so inexpensive.
Tune in for our next blog posting where we’ll take a look at what employers need to provide when wearing a respirator is a requirement for your workers.
(some of the information in this blog came from OSHA’s Bulletin on General Respiratory Protection Guidance for Employers and Workers as well as 3M’s website)