Safety guides · 38 guides on respirators
Respirators guides
Plain words first, the standard cited under it, and the products that carry the rating with live prices. 38 guides, each with the question people type as its heading. Bayshore Safety, industrial safety and PPE supplier since 2017.
Can you wear a respirator with a beard? What OSHA says about facial hairNot a tight-fitting one.29 CFR 1910.134 (current e-CFR)Dräger X-plore 3300 vs 3500 vs 5500: materials, sizes, visor and APFThe three X-plore bayonet masks share the same filters and differ in the facepiece: the X-plore 3300 is a half mask in Soft-TPE (translucent grey), the X-plore 3500 a half mask in DrägerFlex (black) with a drop-down straDräger X-plore 3500/3300 Half Mask product information (DMC-109820); Dräger X-plore 5500 pDräger X-plore bayonet filter codes: OV, AG, HF, FM, CD, AM, MA, HS and P100Dräger's X-plore bayonet filters for the X-plore 3300, 3500 and 5500 masks carry letter codes for their NIOSH approvals: OV organic vapor, AG acid gas (chlorine, hydrogen chloride, sulfur dioxide), HF hydrogen fluoride, Dräger X-plore Bayonet Filters NIOSH product information (DMC-109824); Dräger Guide for SeEscape respirators and escape hoods: mouthbits, CBRN hoods and PARATAn escape respirator is for leaving a hazard, not working in it: 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(2)(ii) requires that respirators provided only for escape from IDLH atmospheres be NIOSH-certified for escape from the atmosphere in whi29 CFR 1910.134(d)(2)(ii), (h)(2)(ii), (h)(3)(i)(C); North 7900 Series and ER2000CBRN dataGrade D breathing air: what 1910.134(i) requires for supplied-air respiratorsAny air fed to a supplied-air respirator or SCBA must be at least Grade D as defined in the Compressed Gas Association’s Commodity Specification for Air, G-7.1.29 CFR 1910.134(i)(1) through (9), current e-CFR, citing ANSI/CGA G-7.1-1989How do respirators work? Air-purifying vs atmosphere-supplying, filters vs cartridgesA respirator works one of two ways.29 CFR 1910.134; NIOSH 42 CFR 84How long can you wear an N95? Reuse and replacement under OSHAOSHA sets no clock on an N95.29 CFR 1910.134 (current e-CFR); 42 CFR 84 (NIOSH); NIOSH Guide to the Selection and Use oHow to clean and store a reusable respirator (OSHA Appendix B-2)OSHA’s procedure is simple: take the filters and cartridges off, pull the valves and diaphragm, wash the parts in warm water (no hotter than 110 F) with mild detergent, rinse, soak two minutes in a disinfectant such as a29 CFR 1910.134(h) and Appendix B-2 (current e-CFR)How to put on an N95 respirator and do a user seal checkCup the respirator in one hand with the nosepiece at your fingertips and the straps hanging.29 CFR 1910.134 Appendix B-1; NIOSH donning guidance; manufacturer instructionsHow to read a NIOSH approval label (TC number)Every NIOSH-approved respirator carries an approval label with the NIOSH emblem, the Department of Health and Human Services seal, the approval holder’s name and address, an approval number, and any restrictions NIOSH pl42 CFR 84.33 and 84.171(b), current e-CFR; NIOSH Certified Equipment List schedule codes; How to read a respirator cartridge color codeThe band of color on a cartridge tells you what it is approved to capture.42 CFR 84.113, 84.171(b) and 84.193 (current e-CFR); ANSI K13.1-1973 as incorporated by reNorth cartridge and filter colors and codes: what each label color and NIOSH designation meansNorth N-Series cartridges carry a color label that matches the NIOSH color code for the contaminant class: black for organic vapor, white for acid gas, yellow for organic vapor and acid gas, green for ammonia and methylaNorth Cartridge & Filter Reference Chart (PIP); the manufacturer's NIOSH approval labeRespirator fit testing: what it is, when OSHA requires it, and how it is doneA fit test checks that a specific respirator actually seals to your face.29 CFR 1910.134 and Appendix ARespirator medical evaluation: what 1910.134(e) requires and who does itBefore anyone is fit tested or required to wear a respirator, the employer must have a physician or other licensed health care professional confirm the employee can safely use it.29 CFR 1910.134(e), (m)(1) and Appendix C (current e-CFR)Respirator training: what employees must be taught under 1910.134(k)OSHA requires the employer to train every employee who must wear a respirator before they use one on the job, and again at least every 12 months.29 CFR 1910.134(k)(1) through (6) and Appendix D, current e-CFRRespirator vs gas mask vs ventilator: what each term meansA respirator is any device worn to protect the wearer from breathing contaminated air; that is OSHA’s definition and it covers everything from an N95 to a firefighter’s air tank.29 CFR 1910.134(b); 42 CFR 84Respirators for asbestos: what 1926.1101 requiresThe construction asbestos standard ties respirators to the class of work.29 CFR 1926.1101(b), (c), (e) and (h); 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3) and Table 1; 42 CFR 84.171(b)Respirators for lead: when 1910.1025 requires themThe general industry lead standard requires a respirator in 3 situations: while engineering and work-practice controls are being installed, during operations where those controls do not get exposure down to the permissib29 CFR 1910.1025(c) and (f); 29 CFR 1926.62(c) and (f); 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3) and Table 1;Respirators for silica dust: what the silica standard requiresThe silica standards put engineering controls first: water on the blade, a shroud and vacuum on the tool, or an enclosed cab.29 CFR 1926.1153 (construction) and 29 CFR 1910.1053 (general industry and maritime), currRespirators for spray painting and isocyanatesSpray paint puts two things in the air at once: solvent vapor and paint mist.29 CFR 1910.94(c), 1910.134 and 1910.1000 Table Z-1 (current e-CFR); OSHA Safety and HealtRespirators for welding fumes: what OSHA and NIOSH requireOSHA’s welding rule starts with ventilation, not respirators.29 CFR 1910.252(c), 1910.1000 Table Z-1, 1910.1025, 1910.1026 and 1910.134 (current e-CFR)Respiratory protection in confined spaces: what 1910.146 and 1910.134 require togetherTwo OSHA rules apply at the same time.29 CFR 1910.146 (permit-required confined spaces) and 29 CFR 1910.134 (respiratory protectSurgical mask vs N95 vs dust mask: what each one is approved to doA surgical mask is a loose-fitting barrier cleared by the FDA to stop splashes and large droplets and to keep the wearer’s own breath off a patient or a sterile field; it is not designed to protect the wearer from what i42 CFR Part 84; 29 CFR 1910.134 (current e-CFR); 21 CFR 878.4040; NIOSH/CDC infographic, UWhat do N95, N99, N100, R95, P95 and P100 mean? The NIOSH filter classes explainedThe letter tells you whether the filter stands up to oil; the number tells you the minimum percentage of test particles it stops.NIOSH 42 CFR 84 Subpart K (1995)What has to be in a written respiratory protection program?Whenever an employer requires respirators, OSHA requires a written program with worksite-specific procedures covering nine things: how respirators are selected, medical evaluations, fit testing, procedures for routine an29 CFR 1910.134(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i), (k), (l), (m) and Appendix D (current e-What is a half mask vs a full facepiece, and what protection factor does each give?A half mask covers the nose and mouth and seals under the chin.29 CFR 1910.134 and Appendix A (current e-CFR)What is a maximum use concentration (MUC) and how is it calculated?The maximum use concentration is the highest concentration of a contaminant a respirator can be used in.29 CFR 1910.134(b) and (d)(3)(i)(A) and (B), current e-CFR; NIOSH Pocket Guide to ChemicalWhat is a PAPR, and when is one used instead of a tight-fitting mask?A PAPR is a powered air-purifying respirator: a battery-driven blower, usually worn on the belt, that pulls air through filters or cartridges and pushes it through a hose to a hood, helmet, or facepiece.29 CFR 1910.134 (current e-CFR); 42 CFR 84.2 and 84.170 (NIOSH)What is a supplied-air respirator, and when is one required?A supplied-air respirator, also called an airline respirator, feeds the wearer clean breathing air through a hose from a source that is not carried on the body: a compressor, an ambient-air pump outside the contaminated 29 CFR 1910.134(b), (d), (f), (g) and (i) (current e-CFR); ANSI/CGA G-7.1-1989 Grade D as What is a user seal check, and how is it different from a fit test?A user seal check is a 10-second check you do yourself every time you put on a tight-fitting respirator: cover the filters and breathe in, or cover the exhalation valve and breathe out, and feel whether air leaks at the 29 CFR 1910.134 and Appendices A and B-1 (current e-CFR)What is an assigned protection factor (APF), how do you read OSHA Table 1, and which respirator do you need for a required APF?An assigned protection factor is the level of protection OSHA expects a type of respirator to give a properly fitted, trained user in a workplace that runs a full respirator program: an APF of 10 means the air inside the29 CFR 1910.134(d)(3)(i)(A) Table 1 and (d)(3)(i)(B); 1910.134(b)What is IDLH, and which respirators are allowed in an IDLH atmosphere?IDLH means immediately dangerous to life or health: an atmosphere that poses an immediate threat to life, would cause irreversible health effects, or would keep a person from escaping.29 CFR 1910.134 (current e-CFR); 29 CFR 1910.146; NIOSH IDLH valuesWhat is required before an employee can use a respirator?Before an employee is required to wear a respirator, OSHA requires 5 things to be in place, in this order.29 CFR 1910.134 and Appendices A, B-1 and C (current e-CFR)What is SCBA, and when does OSHA require it?SCBA is a self-contained breathing apparatus: a cylinder of compressed breathing air carried on the back, a regulator that feeds it to a full facepiece at slightly above atmospheric pressure, and 30, 45 or 60 minutes of 29 CFR 1910.134(d)(2), (g)(3) and (g)(4); NIOSH 42 CFR 84 Subpart H; NFPA 1981 / NFPA 1986What is voluntary respirator use, and what does Appendix D require?Voluntary use is when a respirator is not required, by OSHA or by the employer, but an employee wants to wear one anyway and the employer allows it.29 CFR 1910.134 and Appendix D (current e-CFR)When do you change respirator cartridges? Change schedules and end-of-service-life indicatorsFor gases and vapors, a cartridge is changed on a schedule the employer writes down before the job starts, not when the wearer smells something.29 CFR 1910.134 (current e-CFR); OSHA Respiratory Protection eTool, Change Schedules; NIOSWhich respirator for mold remediation? What NIOSH and OSHA recommendIt depends on how much mold there is.OSHA SHIB 03-10-10, A Brief Guide to Mold in the Workplace (updated 2013); EPA, Mold RemedWhich respirator for pesticide application? Reading the label and the EPA requirementsThe pesticide label decides.40 CFR 170.507 and 170.607 (Worker Protection Standard, current e-CFR); 40 CFR 156.212 (la