What to know
- Employers are responsible for selecting the appropriate NIOSH Approved® respirator for potential workplace hazards.
- Respirators used in the workplace must be used in a complete respiratory protection program (RPP).
- Employers may allow respirators to be voluntarily used in the workplace when the environment does not require their use.
Selecting the appropriate respirator
To reduce exposure to respiratory hazards, it's best to apply the hierarchy of controls. The use of respiratory protection is the "last line of defense" in the hierarchy of controls approach.
Your employer is responsible for selecting an appropriate respirator for potential workplace hazards. Your employer's designated RPP administrator is responsible for ensuring proper respirator selection. The administrator oversees the RPP at your workplace according to OSHA's respiratory protection standard, .
The following resources are helpful when selecting a respirator:
Proper use
A respirator’s effectiveness depends heavily on proper fit and use. For your respirator to provide the protection expected, you must properly don (put on) and doff (take off) it. Each manufacturer provides donning procedures for its respirator models. Always follow the manufacturer's donning procedures.
Additionally, when using a tight-fitting respirator, you must perform a user seal check each time you don the device.
Your respirator must be used, stored, and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's user instructions.
Using your respirator within an RPP
When an employer determines that respiratory protection is necessary in a workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires the use of NIOSH Approved respirators. Workplaces covered under OSHA must also establish a complete RPP. OSHA regulation requires an RPP to include medical evaluations, fit testing, and training.
Your respirator must be used in a complete RPP.
Voluntary use of respirators
Your employer may allow you to use respirators when the environment does not require their use. This is called voluntary use. Your employer may provide respirators for voluntary use, or you may supply your own. Under voluntary use, your employer must make sure the respirator does not present a health hazard to you. OSHA defines voluntary use requirements in , .
Resources
- NIOSH Approved is a certification mark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) registered in the United States and several international jurisdictions.