Every breath you take

Basic precautions with respirators

 

Construction workers are sometimes exposed to airborne hazards. When these are breathed into the lungs, they can cause serious health effects or even death over the long term. Welding fumes, asbestos, solvents, and silica are just a few examples.

Most breathing hazards in the workplace can be reduced or eliminated by

These methods of eliminating the hazard must be followed first. Only when these cannot be implemented or cannot provide adequate protection should respirators be used.

Don’t rely on respirators as your main method of hazard control for the following reasons.

Respirators can protect workers but must be chosen and worn correctly. The chart below outlines different types. This article deals only with the air-purifying respirator since it is by far the most common type used in construction.

 

 

An effective respirator program covers

• procedures
• selection
• fit testing
• seal check
• storage and maintenance
• medical fitness
• training
• records.

  

Procedures

Employers of workers who use respirators should have written operating procedures that are specific to the hazards found in each workplace and that spell out appropriate uses and practices. The following questions should be answered.

• Who is responsible for the respiratory program?
• What is the anticipated level of exposure?
• Has the right respirator been selected?
• Have workers been fit-tested?
• Have workers been trained on the uses and limitations of respirators?
• Do workers know how to clean, inspect, and store respirators?
• Are workers medically fit to wear a respirator?
• Are records kept?
• Is the respirator program reviewed annually?

Selection

Respirators must be selected on the basis of the hazard to which the worker is exposed. To do this it is necessary to know

The last point is important. Knowing a respirator’s limitations is essential. For instance:

• Which hazards does the respirator protect against and which hazards does it not protect against?


Air-purifying respirators simply remove certain airborne hazards. They do not increase or replenish oxygen content. They provide no protection against an atmosphere low in oxygen or against carbon monoxide.

 

• Up to what airborne concentration does the respirator provide protection?
• Are substances present in the atmosphere that will reduce the respirator’s effectiveness?
• Can the respirator protect the skin or eyes if such protection is necessary?


The best way to understand the uses and limitations of a respirator is to thoroughly read the instructions on the package.

 

A good starting place for choosing the right respirator is to check the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for the product being used. The MSDS will usually specify the respirator required.

Respirators must have a National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) approval number on them. Paper masks or surgical masks without a NIOSH approval number must NOT be used because they do little to protect the worker.

Fit Testing

One size does not fit all. Before using a respirator, the user should try on various sizes to see which fits best. This process is called fit testing. Fit testing can be done by the respirator supplier. If it is done by the person responsible for the respirator program, the procedures outlined in Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard Z94.4 Selection, Care and Use of Respirators should be followed.

 

Workers must be clean-shaven when wearing respirators. Beards, even stubble, will allow some chemicals to bypass the respirator and be inhaled.

 

Seal Check

Every time you put a respirator on, check the seal using the negative-pressure or positive-pressure method.

Negative-Pressure Seal Check

The wearer puts on the respirator according to the manufacturer’s instructions and adjusts the respirator until it feels snug but comfortable. The air inlets are blocked off with the hands and the wearer inhales gently. If the respirator is properly fitted, it should collapse slightly and not permit any air into the facepiece. If leakage is detected, the wearer should make adjustments and repeat the seal check until the fit is satisfactory.

 

  

 

Positive-Pressure Seal Check

Follow the same instructions as above except that the exhalation valve is covered and the wearer exhales gently. The facepiece should puff up, but no leakage should occur.

Storage and Maintenance

Respirators should be

• cleaned and sanitized (check the manufacturer’s instructions)
• stored so they cannot be damaged by the elements or become deformed
• in good working order.

Wearing a poorly maintained respirator is dangerous and can result in injury. Maintenance procedures should include inspection for defects, cleaning and disinfecting, repair and storage.

A competent person must establish a schedule indicating when or how often to change the air-purifying filter. This depends on a number of factors, including hazard concentration, temperature, humidity, how often the filter is used, user’s breathing rate, and the filter itself.

Medical Fitness

Workers should not be assigned tasks requiring the use of respirators unless they are medically cleared to do so.

Training

Training is the most important element but often the most ignored. To get a worker not only to wear a respirator but to wear it correctly the worker must understand

• why it is required
• the consequences of not wearing the respirator
• limitations of the respirator
• how to inspect, put on, and fit-check the respirator
• how to maintain, clean, and store the respirator.

Records

As a minimum, the respirator program should keep a record of training, fit testing, exposure levels of the respirator user, selection of the appropriate respirator, cleaning, maintenance, storage, and health surveillance of the user.

CSA standard Z94.4 Selection,
Care and Use of Respirators
provides guidance on the basic elements
of a respiratory protection program.