Trends in … respiratory protection

When it comes to respiratory protection, the question of safety has been made simple because respiratory protection is regulated by NIOSH, says Katie Mielcarek, marketing manager at Gateway Safety.

“A NIOSH-approved disposable particulate respirator should be well marked on the product itself and tells a user that the product was tested and certified by NIOSH,” Mielcarek points out. “This helps distinguish it from products like dust masks, which are not tested or certified by NIOSH.”

She added: “All NIOSH-approved respirators provide the same level of protection as marked (i.e., N95), so manufacturers can’t make the claim that one product is ‘safer’ than another.”

However, how to implement a respiratory protection program is still often misunderstood, says Tom Dempsey, business unit leader and vice president at JSP Safety Inc., a partner of Protective Industrial Products.

“Workplaces with hazardous airborne contaminants should follow a respiratory protection program,” Dempsey said. “Employers must assess risks, identify the actions and resources required to adequately control them, then put those measures in place and ensure they remain effective.”

One way to do this is by training workers on correct use and maintenance of respiratory protection.

“Employees should be trained in fitting respirators and conducting pre-use checks to make sure equipment is safe,” Dempsey says.

Dempsey noted that he’s often asked about “the clean-shaven requirement” for tight-fitting respirators, which create a seal on a worker’s face to protect them.

“Facial hair can break this seal and allow contaminated air to leak in through gaps around the mask,” he warned. “Wearers of tight-fitting respirators need to be clean-shaven every time they use the mask. Not just for the fit test, and not just at the start of the week.”

If workers have facial hair, Dempsey recommends that worker use a loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator instead.

Compiled with the assistance of the International Safety Equipment Association

Coming next month:

• Fall protection
• Instruments/monitors