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STEP 2: Find out if your workers need
respiratory protection
An exposure assessment should yield employee exposure levels for the substances you
test for. The results are typically measured
in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per
cubic meter of air (mg/m3), commonly averaged over an eight-hour work shift.
Compare your exposure levels to the occupational exposure limit (OEL) to determine if action is required. You
may also see exposure levels set by other groups, such
as the American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH). These may be lower than the OEL. In
any event, make sure both your measured concentrations
and the levels to which you are comparing them (such
as the OEL) use the same units of measure. For instance,
both could be expressed in ppm for an eight-hour
time-weighted average (TWA). Measurements may also
be in the form of 15-minute short-term exposure limits
(STEL) or a ceiling limit (C), which is the absolute limit
that should never be exceeded at any time by a worker.
If your employee exposure levels are below the OEL,
then respirators may not be legally required, though
you may still want to o昀昀er respirators for voluntary use.
If your levels are above the limit, look to reduce exposures through engineering, or administrative controls. If
putting those controls into place is not feasible, choose
respiratory protection that helps bring exposures down
to an acceptable level for workers. Always check with
local or regional regulators for the speci昀椀c respiratory
requirements in your area.
STEP 3: Determine level of protection needed
Common to all Provincial and Federal regulations,
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health) approved respirators are acceptable for use in
the workplace. All NIOSH-approved respirators have an
assigned protection factor (APF), which can range from
10 to 10,000.
The APF is the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator is expected to provide to employees
when the employer implements a continuing, e昀昀ective
respiratory protection program. For instance, an APF
of 10 means the respirator can protect against exposure
levels that are up to 10 times the OEL for that hazard.
Example:
Exposure level: 500 ppm
÷
OEL or PEL: 50 ppm
—
APF: 10
STEP 4: Choose a respirator type
You must also consider compatibility with other required
protective equipment, such as safety glasses and hard
hats. Glasses and half face respirators, for example, may
compete for space on the same part of the face — the
bridge of the nose — so it’s vital to 昀椀nd equipment that
昀椀ts together without causing either leakage around the
respirator edges or loss of eye protection.
Comfort and ability to do the job are also important
considerations; if the work is particularly strenuous, try
to select respirators that are as lightweight and streamlined as possible. And keep in mind that people’s faces
come in all shapes and sizes; you may need to select
from a variety of models and sizes to 昀椀nd properly 昀椀tting
respirators for all workers who need one.
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