SAFETY SOLUTIONS: Respiratory Protection . . . Does Your Program Protect?
Today’s workforce is faced with numerous challenges on a daily basis. Without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges facing both employee and employer is safety. While all industries are governed by OSHA to establish, maintain, and adjust work practices to promote the safest work conditions possible, injuries and illness still occur.

An average worker may be exposed to dangerous or potentially dangerous situations every hour. It is often the unseen hazards that may have the most serious outcome. Respiratory exposures are frequently encountered and certainly not seen. Some respiratory hazards act quickly, like carbon monoxide, which can make you unconscious or kill you in minutes. Other respiratory hazards can take years to make you sick, like asbestos, which can cause lung cancer decades after you breathe it in.

Respirator protection, while at times may be cumbersome or awkward, is imperative while working in conditions that may expose an employee to gas, dust, mist, smoke, vapor or fumes. Per OSHA 1910.134 “A respirator shall be provided to each employee when such equipment is necessary to protect the health of such employee. The employer shall provide the respirators which are applicable and suitable for the purpose intended. The employer shall be responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a respiratory protection program.”

Not only must an employer provide respiratory protection, they must also:

• develop and implement a written respiratory protection program
• evaluate the respiratory hazards in the workplace
• select and provide appropriate respirators;
• provide worker medical evaluations and respirator fit testing;
• provide for the maintenance, storage and cleaning of respirators;
• provide worker training about respiratory hazards and proper respirator use
• evaluate workers' use of respirators and correct any problems
• provide employee with access to specific records and documents, such as a written copy of employer's respiratory protection program

A properly controlled respiratory protection program should be managed by a qualified person that is able to consistently review work environments and make necessary adjustments that promote correct respirator selection. In addition, employers should consistently have a licensed professional review employee health surveys to determine if an employee may be unable to utilize a respirator appropriately due to existing health conditions or limitations.

A strong respiratory protection program will not only provide immediate protection to those exposed to hazardous particulates, but it will also promote employee wellness for the future.

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