Respiratory hazards are tricky, sometimes obvious and immediately felt and other times unseen and not felt but equally dangerous. Understanding how to protect yourself is absolutely essential to keep our lungs breathing easy.
Conduct Exposure Assessment
Determine what kind of hazards are present in the air – particulate, gas/vapor, or both. Generally, particulate hazards need a filter and gas/vapor hazards need a cartridge. A combination can also be used.
Compare exposure levels of the respiratory hazard in the environment to the permissible exposure limit (PEL) set by OSHA for the hazards present. If exposure levels are at or above PEL, employers must provide proper protection.
If exposure levels are below OEL, respirators are not legally required but may be offered for voluntary use
Assignment Protection Factor
OSHA requires all respirators be approved by NIOSH.
NIOSH assigns an Assignment Protection Factor (APF) to respirators ranging from 10-10,000. Determining APF varies based on the hazard. A simple way to understand APF is it determines how much the mask decreases the concentration of hazards inhaled by the user.
An APF of 10 means the respirators can protect against exposure levels up to 10 times the PEL for that hazard.
Choose Your Protection
Once you know the required APR, you can choose a respirator that can reduce exposure to below the PEL.
And here’s a pro tip: Make sure your respirator plays nicely with any other protective gear you need, like safety glasses or hard hats. Everything should fit together seamlessly without compromising functionality.
Inhaling the wrong stuff could hit you hard or creep up on you overtime, protect those lungs. Choose the right gear for the job, and keep long-term hazards from wrecking havoc. Stay safe, breathe easy!
Browse our respiratory protection here.
Read more about types of respiratory protection HERE.
Are you more of a visual/auditory learner? Watch our expert-led webinar on disposable respiratory protection HERE.
