Respiratory Safety Guide: Protect Yourself from Hazardous Particles

1. RESPIRATORY SAFETY

3. Respirators Will Protect You Hazardous particles in the air can cause serious injuries or death Use a respirator whenever you enter an area with hazardous particles in the air You may not be able to see or smell hazardous air particles until it’s too late

4. Two Most Common Respirators Air purifying respirators clean the air with: Filters Cartridges Canisters Supplied air respirators supply you with clean air from an outside source

5. Air Purifying Respirators (APRs) Remove harmful substances from the air you breathe so you can stay safe Have tight fitting facepieces to stop you from breathing contaminated air

6. Benefits and Limitations of Air Purifying Respirators (APRs) Benefit of APRs is that they: Are lightweight and allow you to easily move around the facility Limitations of APRs are that they: Have filters and cartridges that must be changed regularly Don’t provide oxygen or protection from conditions that are immediately dangerous to your life and health

7. Supplied Air Respirators (SARs) Provide breathing air that is independent from the environment Range from: SCBAs Air-line suppliers Protective suits

8. Benefits and Limitations of Supplied Air Respirators (SARs) Benefits of SARs are that: They can be used for any type of contaminant or exposure level Limitations of SARs are that: Movement is restricted Hoses can bump into machinery SCBAs are heavy and their time is limited by the volume of air in the cylinder

9. Medical Evaluations Don’t use a respirator until a health care professional determines you are physically able to do so Management will organize the testing For people with existing medical conditions, respirator use can cause injury or death

10. Qualitative Fit Testing Ensures your respirator fits properly Is performed at initial fitting and then annually after that Relies on your ability to detect a harmless substance in your breathing space

11. Quantitative Fit Testing Measures the amount of hazardous particles that could leak into your respirator Produces a number called the ‘fit factor’ The larger the number, the safer you are

12. Positive and NegativePressure Fit Checks Check the fit of your respirator before every use Positive pressure fit checks are for supplied air respirators Negative pressure fit checks are for air purifying respirators

13. Respirator Inspection Before and after each use At least monthly for emergency equipment If defective, don’t use Tagout to ensure accidental use doesn’t occur

14. Leave the Respirator Area if You Smell or taste something out of the ordinary Feel your eyes or throat becoming irritated Observe a change in your breathing Notice the facepiece is leaking or other parts of the respirator are broken Hear an alarm signaling equipment has failed

15. Respirator Maintenance Dirty, inoperative respirators will not effectively protect you Clean or disinfect other people’s respirators before wearing Store respirators properly to protect against damage

16. Summary Working in an area with hazardous particles in the air can cause injury or death Air Purifying Respirators remove harmful substance from the air Supplied Air Respirators provide clean air from outside the contaminated work area Fit Testing ensures a proper fit