Exposure to fumes, dust, silica, asbestos and other toxins are a common occurrence on construction sites. Unchecked, exposure to these toxins can result in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung cancer and silicosis. Knowing the basics of respiratory protection can go a long way toward preventing these ailments and keeping workers safe onsite.
When respirators are used on a job site, employers are required to have a respiratory protection program that meets either the Federal OSHA or a State OSHA respiratory protection standard.
The standard requires employers to do the following:
- develop and implement a written respiratory protection program;
- evaluate the respiratory hazards in the workplace;
- select and provide appropriate respirators;
- provide worker medical evaluations and respirator fit testing;
- provide for the maintenance, storage and cleaning of respirators;
- provide worker training about respiratory hazards and proper respirator use;
- evaluate workers’ use of respirators and correct any problems.
One of the most fundamental, but often overlooked aspect of respiratory protection is ensuring that seal checks are regularly performed – a respirator is only as good as its fit. Seal checks should be conducted every time respiratory protection is used on the job.
Seal checks can use either positive pressure – the user exhales gently while blocking all exit points – or negative pressure, during which the user inhales sharply while blocking ingress points. During a negative pressure seal check. The face piece should collapse on your face while inhaling and you should not feel air passing between your face and the face piece. For a positive pressure seal check, exhale gently into the face piece. The seal is considered satisfactory if a slight positive pressure is being built up inside the face piece without any evidence of outward leakage of air at the seal.
In the case of either type of seal check, if air leaks around the nose, use both hands to readjust the nosepiece by placing fingertips at the top of the metal nose clip.
NIOSH notes that not all respirators can be checked with negative or positive pressure and suggests users read manufacturer’s instructions for performing a seal test.
OSHA requires an annual fit test to “confirm the fit of any respirator that forms a tight seal on the wearer’s face before it is used in the workplace,” and to help determine the best respirator model and size for each worker. A user seal check is not a substitute for a fit test, NIOSH states, and users should only wear respirators for which they have been successfully fit tested in the past year.
For more information, contact our offices at Diversified Safety Services.
