General Limitations for respirators approved under 30 CFR Part 11 & 42 CFR Part 84
- Not evaluated as an ignition source in flammable or explosive atmospheres by MSHA/NIOSH.
- Not for use in atmospheres containing less than 19.5 percent oxygen.
- Not for use in atmospheres immediately dangerous to life or health.
- Tight-fitting facepiece: Do not use if airflow is less than four cubic feet per minute.
- Loose-fitting facepiece: Do not use if airflow is less than six cubic feet per minute.
What is an airline respirator?
Airline respirators, also known as supplied air respirators (SAR), are used when air purifying respirators (APR) cannot provide sufficient protection from airborne concentrations of the chemical (or a combination of the chemicals) being used.
What are the limitations of a respirator?
These limitations are by no means all inclusive. The respirator manufacturer may also identify further cautions and limitations for their respirators. In addition, regulatory agencies may also place a limit on the use of respirators in their standards. Not evaluated as an ignition source in flammable or explosive atmospheres by MSHA/NIOSH.
What are the requirements for air purifying respirators with particulate filters?
Air-purifying respirators with APFs >100 must be equipped with particulate filters that are at least 99.97% efficient. CThe licensee may apply to the Commission for the use of an APF greater than 1 for sorbent cartridges as protection against airborne radioactive gases and vapors (e.g., radioiodine).
What is the airline length of a low pressure respirator?
The airline length of a low pressure airline respirator with an ambient air pump is generally limited to 100 to 150 feet (depending on the ambient air pump manufacturer recommendations) and supports only a few workers. There are also fewer options to heat and cool the air supplying the mask with a low pressure airline respirator.
What are the limitations of respiratory protection?
The major limitation of RPE is that the anticipated protection is achieved only if the equipment is worn correctly. In addition, RPE performance in the workplace is generally much poorer than suggested by standards or manufacturers' literature.
Which of the following are factors to consider when choosing a respirator?
There are six factors you should always consider when choosing a respiratory protection device:The Level of Respiratory Hazard. ... The Type of Material the Respirator Is Made Of. ... The Respirator's Weight. ... How Comfortable the Respirator Is. ... Donning, Fit Testing and Proper Use. ... Care, Storage and Maintenance.
What are three factors that can affect the seal of a respirator?
Factors affecting respirator sealFacial hair.Facial bone structure.Dentures.Facial scars.Eyeglasses.Excessive makeup.
What are the conditions necessary for the use of a respirator as per OSHA?
∎ Paragraph (a)(1) establishes OSHA's hierarchy of controls by requiring the use of feasible engineering controls as the primary means to control air contaminants. Respirators are required when “effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted.”
What are the 4 key requirements for selecting and using a respirator?
Selecting Respirators for Your WorkplaceStep One: Know your hazard type. ... Step Two: Find out if your workers need respiratory protection. ... Step Three: Determine level of protection needed. ... Step Four: Choose a respirator type.
Which of the following are the conditions that can affect respirator use?
Conditions that can affect respirator use include missing or arthritic fingers, facial scars, dentures, poor eyesight, or perforated eardrums.
What is a respirator protection factor?
The definitions of APFs and MUCs are: Assigned Protection Factor (APF) means the work- place level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class of respirators is expected to provide to em- ployees when the employer implements a continu- ing, effective respiratory protection program as specified by this section.
What interferes with a respirator seal?
Page 1 of 2 Where your respirator seals with your face, nothing must come between the respirator and your skin. Eyeglass frames, head coverings, beards, sideburns, and stubble must not interfere with the seal. You must be clean-shaven where the respirator seals with the face.
What are the 3 classes of respirators?
Air-purifying respirators (APRs) FFRs are disposable respirators that cover the nose and mouth. EHMRs are reusable respirators and cover the nose and mouth. Elastomeric full facepiece respirators are reusable and cover the nose, mouth, and eyes.
What is required before using a respirator?
Before donning a respirator, employees must be medically cleared to wear a respirator by a physician or other licensed healthcare professional. As part of the medical clearance process, a medical questionnaire is required to be answered by the employee.
What is required before using a respirator OSHA quizlet?
Before any required use, the employee must be fit tested on the same make, model, style and size of the respiratory that will be used.
Who is permitted to use a respirator?
Applies to all occupational airborne exposures to contaminated air when the employee is: exposed to a hazardous level of an airborne contaminant. required by the employer to wear a respirator, or. permitted to wear a respirator.
How do you choose a dust mask or respirator?
Make sure the respirator is designed for the type of particles you'll come into contact with. 95: The respirator removes at least 95% of the particles. 99: The respirator removes at least 99% of the particles. 100: The respirator removes at least 99.97% of the particles.
What kind of respirator do I need for welding?
N95 class filters are recommended for most welding applications because welding fume is relatively easy to filter and oil mist is seldom a factor. There is no harm in using a higher class filter.
What is respirator used for?
Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays.
What is NRP respirator?
N, R, and P are NIOSH certification categories that apply to negative pressure air-purifying respirators that protect against respiratory particulates. They do not apply to powered air- purifying respirators (PAPRs).
What is an air respirator?
Airline respirators, also known as supplied air respirators (SAR), are used when air purifying respirators (APR) cannot provide sufficient protection from airborne concentrations of the chemical (or a combination of the chemicals) being used. Airline respirators may also be used when unknown chemicals or chemical concentrations are present, ...
What is the OSHA standard for air purification?
The OSHA Respiratory Standard 29 CFR 1910.134 covers both air purifying and airline respirators. Determining the type of respirator to use is dependent upon a workplace assessment. Once the assessment is completed and engineering controls have been ruled out, the appropriate airline respirator can be selected.
What is the best air source for a high pressure air respirator?
The air source for a high pressure airline respirator often requires an air filtration system to provide Grade D air, and it is important to monitor the user’s carbon monoxide level. Air cylinders, or bottled air, are another source of high pressure breathing air.
When to use a full face and half face respirator?
1. Tight Fitting Full-face and Half-mask Respirators – These respirators are used in IDLH situations and when gases and vapors are present that APR’s cannot protect against. Fit testing is required when using a negative or positive pressure tight fitting mask.
What is grade D air?
According to OSHA, compressed air must meet the requirements of the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) specifications of Grade D breathing air. Grade D breathing air can come from an ambient air pump, an air compressor or plant air, which can be filtered and regulated.
What are the limitations of a respirator?
General Limitations for respirators approved under 30 CFR Part 11 & 42 CFR Part 84 1 Not evaluated as an ignition source in flammable or explosive atmospheres by MSHA/NIOSH. 2 Not for use in atmospheres containing less than 19.5 percent oxygen. 3 Not for use in atmospheres immediately dangerous to life or health. 4 Tight-fitting facepiece: Do not use if airflow is less than four cubic feet per minute. 5 Loose-fitting facepiece: Do not use if airflow is less than six cubic feet per minute. 6 In making renewals and repairs, parts identical with those furnished by the manufacturer under the pertinent approval shall be maintained. 7 Refer to approval label and instruction and maintenance manuals for additional information on use and maintenance of the respirators. 8 Follow the manufacturer's instructions for changing filters, cartridges, and/or canisters. 9 This respirator shall be selected, fitted, used and maintained in accordance with Mine Safety and Health Administration and other applicable regulations.
How many cfm is needed for a respirator?
Do not use powered air-purifying respirators if airflow is less than four cfm (115 lpm) for tight-fitting facepieces or six cfm ( 170 lpm) for hoods and/or helmets.
How many cubic feet per minute does a loose fitting facepiece need to be?
Loose-fitting facepiece: Do not use if airflow is less than six cubic feet per minute. In making renewals and repairs, parts identical with those furnished by the manufacturer under the pertinent approval shall be maintained.
Air-purifying respirators (APRs)
APRs use filters, cartridges, or canisters to remove gases, vapors, aerosols, or a combination of contaminants from the air. Tight-fitting APRs require fit testing prior to use. Below are the different types of APRs.
NIOSH-approved Particulate Filtering Respirators Classification
There are ten classes of NIOSH-approved particulate filtering respirators. These types of respirators use filters to remove particles from the air that is breathed through them. The N, R, and P designations refer to the filter’s oil resistance as described in the table below.
Atmosphere-supplying respirators (ASRs)
ASRs provide clean breathing air from a separate source. These respirators protect workers from many types of airborne contaminants (particles, gases, and vapors) and, in certain cases, oxygen-deficient atmospheres. Tight-fitting ASRs require fit testing prior to use. Below are the different types of ASRs.
Searching for NIOSH-approved Respirators
The Certified Equipment List (CEL) is the official list of all NIOSH-approved respirators. Alternatively, NIOSH keeps a list of the NIOSH-approved air-purifying respirators organized by filter series type. Supplier information and donning instructions are also available in these lists.
How often should you inspect your escape respirator?
OSHA regulations require that escape respirators be inspected monthly. MSHA regulations require that self-rescuers that are carried be inspected daily.
What is the exposure limit for dust and mists?
Approved for respiratory protection against dusts and mists having an exposure limit measured as a time weighted average not less than 0.05 milligram per cubic meter or 2 million particles per cubic foot. Dusts, Fumes and Mists.
What is 84A respirator?
See approval label for specific approval information and limitations. 84A - Non-powered Air-Purifying Particulate Filter Respirators.
Does NIOSH evaluate respirators?
Refer to User's Instructions, and/or maintenance manuals for information on use and maintenance of these respirators. NIOSH does not evaluate respirators for use as surgical masks. Special or critical User's Instructions and/or specific use limitations apply. Refer to User's Instructions before donning.
When is enriched air approved for use?
If enriched air is used: Approved for use only when the cylinder or container is charged with compressed gas meeting the requirements listed in Federal Register Vol. 20, No. 222, November 18, 1985. Oxygen in the facepiece shall not exceed 30 percent by volume under normal temperature and pressure conditions.
When is compressed air reservoir approved?
Approved only when compressed air reservoir is fully charged with air meeting the requirements of the Compressed Gas Association specification G-7.1 for Type 1, Grade D air, or equivalent specifications.
Can you use a 14G gas mask in the air?
General Limitations - All Gas Masks (14G): Not for use in atmospheres immediately dangerous to life or health. Not for use in atmospheres containing less than 19.5 percent oxygen. Refer to approval label, and instruction and maintenance manuals, for additional information on use and maintenance of these respirators.
When an exposure ever approaches the MUC, should the employer select the next highest level of respirator?
The respirator can be used up to this concentration as long as the MUC does not exceed the immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) level. When no OSHA PEL is available for a hazardous substance, the MUC must be determined using available information and professional judgement.
What is an Assigned Protection Factor?
An APF is a term used by OSHA to determine how well a respirator/filter combination will protect an individual from external contaminants. It is an estimate of the level of protection a respirator provides. APFs are used to select the appropriate class of respirators that will provide the necessary level of protection. There are certain levels used for different types of masks. The APF is based on the type of mask and size.
What is 29 CFR 1910.134?
For escape respirators used in association with specific substances covered by 29 CFR 1910 subpart Z, employers must refer to the appropriate substance-specific standards in that subpart. Escape respirators for other IDLH atmospheres are specified by 29 CFR 1910.134 (d) (2) (ii).
What does MUC stand for in a respirator?
MUC - Maximum Use Concentration (MUC) means the maximum atmospheric concentration of a hazardous substance from which an employee can be expected to be protected when wearing a respirator, and is determined by the assigned protection factor of the respirator or class of respirators and the exposure limit of the hazardous substance
Can you use an air purifying respirator for toluene?
Caution: Since the IDLH for Toluene is 500 ppm, you cannot use an air purifying respirator. You must use positive pressure supplied air or self-contained breathing apparatus.
Do respirators have to be fit tested?
In addition, for the APFs and MUCs to be properly applied, all respirators must be fit-tested and used in accordance with all local and federal regulations. The APF/MUC will not be accurate for employees that are not clean shaven, have hair that interferes with the fit of a tight-fitting respirator, have a poor fitting respirator, or an improperly selected cartridge. Employees wearing tight-fitting respirators with facial hair that interferes with the fit is a common deficiency found during potent compound safety gap assessments.
What is the APF of a respirator?
Air-purifying respirators with APF = 100 must be equipped with particulate filters that are at least 99% efficient. Air-purifying respirators with APFs >100 must be equipped with particulate filters that are at least 99.97% efficient.
What is the protection factor for tritium oxide?
For tritium oxide vapor, approximately one-third of the intake occurs by absorption through the skin so that an overall protection factor of 3 is appropriate when atmosphere-supplying respirators are used to protect against tritium oxide. Exposure to radioactive noble gases is not considered a significant respiratory hazard, and protective actions for these contaminants should be based on external (submersion) dose considerations.
Is NIOSH approved for atmosphere supplying suits?
g No NIOSH approval schedule is currently available for atmosphere supplying suits. This equipment may be used in an acceptable respiratory protection program as long as all the other minimum program requirements, with the exception of fit testing, are met (i.e., 10 CFR 20.1703).