Respiratory protection is the equipment and program elements used to protect workers from inhaling hazardous airborne substances, governed in the US by OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.134.
Respiratory protection is the equipment and program elements used to protect workers from breathing in hazardous airborne substances such as dusts, mists, fumes, gases and vapors, or from working in air that does not contain enough oxygen. The equipment ranges from disposable filtering facepiece respirators to supplied-air systems and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
In US general industry, respiratory protection is governed by OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134. The construction standard, 29 CFR 1926.103, applies the same requirements. The standard covers both the respirators themselves and the program an employer must run around them, including selection, medical evaluation, fit testing, training and maintenance.
A respirator only protects a worker when the right type is chosen for the hazard, it fits, and it is worn and maintained correctly. That is why OSHA treats respiratory protection as a program, not just a piece of equipment.
Under 1910.134(a)(1), the primary way to prevent harmful exposures is to use engineering controls such as enclosure, ventilation or substituting less toxic materials. This follows the hierarchy of controls. Respirators are required when those controls are not feasible, or while they are being put in place, and exposure would otherwise exceed the permissible exposure limit (PEL) or another applicable limit.
Under 1910.134(c)(1), the written program must cover respirator selection, medical evaluations, fit testing, procedures for routine and emergency use, cleaning, storage, inspection and repair, breathing air quality for supplied-air respirators, training on hazards and respirator use, and regular evaluation of the program.
Employers must use NIOSH-certified respirators and choose them based on the hazards and expected exposure levels. Main types include:
Each class has an assigned protection factor (APF) in Table 1 of the standard. For example, filtering facepieces and half masks have an APF of 10, full-facepiece air-purifying respirators 50, loose-fitting PAPRs 25 and pressure-demand full-facepiece SCBA 10,000. Multiplying the APF by the exposure limit gives the maximum use concentration for that respirator.
For gases and vapors, air-purifying cartridges must have an end-of-service-life indicator or the employer must set a cartridge change schedule. Atmospheres that are immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) require a full-facepiece pressure-demand SCBA rated for at least 30 minutes, or a full-facepiece pressure-demand supplied-air respirator with an auxiliary self-contained air supply.
Respirators add breathing resistance and, in some cases, weight and heat stress, which can be dangerous for workers with certain heart or lung conditions. Under 1910.134(e), a physician or other licensed health care professional must determine that a worker can safely use a respirator before the worker is fit tested or uses it at work. The evaluation uses the mandatory questionnaire in Appendix C or an equivalent medical exam. The employer receives a written recommendation on whether the worker can use the respirator and any limitations, not the worker's full medical details. Additional evaluations are needed when a worker reports symptoms, the health care professional or supervisor asks for one, or workplace conditions change in a way that adds physical strain.
Everyone who wears a tight-fitting respirator under a required program must pass a fit test before first use, whenever a different make, model, style or size is used, and at least once a year. A retest is also needed after changes such as significant weight change, dental work or facial scarring that could affect the fit.
A furniture manufacturer's finishing department sprayed solvent-based coatings in a booth with weak ventilation. Air monitoring showed organic vapor levels above the exposure limit. The company upgraded the booth's exhaust system, which brought levels down but not below the limit during heavy spraying.
To control the remaining exposure, it set up a written respiratory protection program. Painters completed the Appendix C medical questionnaire, were fit tested on half-face respirators with organic vapor cartridges, and were trained on seal checks, cleaning and storage. Because the cartridges had no end-of-service-life indicator, the program set a change schedule based on the measured vapor levels. Painters were fit tested again each year, and a worker who grew a beard was offered a loose-fitting PAPR instead.
When engineering and work practice controls cannot keep airborne exposures below the applicable limits, or while those controls are being installed. Any workplace where respirator use is required must have a written respiratory protection program.
An air-purifying respirator, such as an N95, filters contaminants from the surrounding air. A supplied-air respirator delivers clean air from an outside source, such as a compressed air line or a tank. Atmosphere-supplying respirators are needed for oxygen-deficient and IDLH atmospheres.
Wearing a respirator makes breathing harder and adds physical strain, which can be dangerous for some heart or lung conditions. OSHA requires a medical evaluation before fit testing or first use to confirm the worker can safely wear the assigned respirator.
To wear a tight-fitting respirator, facial hair must not come between the face and the sealing surface, regardless of fit test results. Workers with beards can use a loose-fitting respirator, such as a hood or helmet PAPR, if it is suitable for the hazard.
No. When a worker voluntarily wears a filtering facepiece and no hazard requires it, fit testing, medical evaluation and a written program are not required. The employer must still provide the information in Appendix D.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
> Keep learning
> See it in action
Capture hazards, run inspections, track training and close out corrective actions in one platform built for high-risk, field-heavy work.
Book my free demo
Get a demo built around your sites, your teams, and the way your people work.
EHS, journey, and fatigue management software for field-heavy teams.
.png){kind=logo}
.png)