At a glance
Explore the Hospital Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) Toolkit for resources, tools, and guidance on developing and implementing effective RPPs.
About this toolkit
The Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit was developed to assist hospitals in developing and implementing effective RPPs. The Toolkit emphasizes preventing the transmission of hazards in the air to healthcare personnel.
Who should use this toolkit
This Toolkit can be used by anyone charged with setting up and maintaining an RPP. The guidance applies to healthcare workplaces, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, ambulatory care, home care, and hospice, which have the potential to expose employees to hazards in the air.
What's included
This Toolkit includes links to references, educational resources, and electronic tools such as templates, sample forms, and educational materials. It identifies existing public health guidance where available on the use of respiratory protection.
Why hospitals need RPP
- The hospital environment contains hazards such as bacteria, viruses, and chemicals that may be inhaled by personnel and cause injury or illness.
- In order to protect employees from hazards in the air, healthcare facilities must implement comprehensive infection control plans using a combination of engineering, administrative (including training and vaccination), and work practice controls, and provide for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Respirators and other PPE are used as a last line of defense when exposures cannot be reduced to an acceptable level using these other methods.
- Healthcare personnel who care for patients with infectious diseases work in close proximity to hazards in the air; even with controls in place, they are likely to have a higher risk of inhaling (droplets and particles) than the general public. These personnel, and others with a higher risk of exposure related to the tasks they perform (e.g., autopsy workers), must often be protected further through the proper use of respirators.
- Respiratory protection reduces inhalation of aerosols. Respirators are designed and regulated to provide a known level of protection when used within the context of a comprehensive and effective respiratory protection program.
Key requirements
The OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard
Hospitals and all other employers who require employees to use respiratory protection for control of exposures to hazards in the air must comply with Federal OSHA's Respiratory Protection standard, , or the equivalent state standard. The OSHA Respiratory Protection standard establishes legally enforceable requirements about how respirators are to be used.
When respirator use is required, the Respiratory Protection standard requires that all employee use of respirators be done within the context of a comprehensive and effective respiratory protection program. The program must be in writing, have a designated respirator program administrator, and specify the employer's policies and procedures for the use of respiratory protection in the facility. OSHA requires each respiratory protection program to include several specific elements but leaves the specifics of the policies and procedures used to meet these requirements up to individual employers.
The Respiratory Protection standard does not specify the circumstances under which healthcare personnel must use respirators for protection against hazards in the air. However, OSHA requires employers to evaluate the respiratory hazards in the workplace and expects that hospitals develop their respiratory protection policies based on CDC/HICPAC and other public health guidance from CDC, state, and local health departments. View the toolkit for further information on the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard and its potential impact on developing an RPP at your facility.
