Page History

Title:

Respiratory Protection

Publication date:

6/15/2020

Effective date:

6/15/2020

Title:

Respiratory Protection

Publication date:

6/15/2020

Effective date:

6/15/2020

Role

Responsibility

EHS Health Services

• Follows guidance in the most current version of the Health Services Respirator Medical Approval Program.
• Establishes health standards that must be met by all prospective respirator users, as required by 29 CFR 1910.134, ANSI Z88.2, and ANSI Z88.6.
• Requires that respirator users complete a Medical Questionnaire Form or obtain equivalent information (see Appendix D, Medical Questionnaire for Respirator Users).
• Performs initial medical examinations on all personnel who will wear respirators, with the exception of employees whose only use of respirators is voluntary use of filtering facepieces (dust masks).
• Performs follow-up medical examinations, as needed, if:
  
  1. An employee reports medical signs or symptoms related to his or her ability to wear a respirator.
  2. An employee is referred by the EHS Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) Administrator (RPPA), a supervisor, or a health care professional for re-evaluation.
  3. Information from the RPP, including observations made during fit testing and program evaluation, indicates a need for employee re-evaluation.
  4. Changes in workplace conditions (e.g., physical work effort, protective clothing, and temperature) may result in a substantial increase in the physiological burden placed on the employee.
• Performs annual medical examinations on all SCBA users.
• Provides a signed approval for those individuals found to be capable of wearing a respirator.
• Notifies the Program Administrator of any restrictions on employee respirator use.
• Maintains records of all required tests and medical history questionnaires.
• Uses only NIOSH-approved respirators, in accordance with the RPP, in cases when respiratory protection is required to protect health care.

EHS Radiation Protection Group

• Performs appropriate hazard evaluations.
• Provides radiation safety training.
• Develops applicable radiation safety authorization documents.
• Provides all necessary field support services.

EHS Health and Safety Department

• Designates a Program Administrator who is qualified by training or experience to oversee the RPP.
• Stocks and issues respiratory protective equipment and supplies approved by NIOSH.
• Maintains equipment for respirator maintenance, fit testing, and cleaning.
• Assures that the RPP is reviewed by the RPPA.
• Assures that the RPP is audited by a knowledgeable person not directly associated with the program.
• Reviews contractor submittals, which are submitted to the Industrial Hygiene Group, as specified in Appendix A.

Respiratory Protection Program Administrator (RPPA) and Program Staff

• Perform or review hazard assessments for respirator users.
• Identify respiratory protection options.
• Provide respirator and expected-work information to Health Services to support their medical evaluation of respirator users
• Conduct respirator training. This includes fit testing, respirator use, storage, and maintenance. Respirator training is required before an employee uses a respirator, and is repeated annually.
• Maintain records of respirator training.
• Inform Health Services of the need to medically re-evaluate employees based on reports from employees, observations during fit testing or program evaluation, or changes in workplace conditions.
• Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the RPP.
• Follow the current version of LBNL/PUB-913E, Environment, Safety, and Health Technical Assurance Program Manual.
• Investigate instances of respiratory protective equipment malfunction to determine the cause and to identify the appropriate corrective action.
• Report suspected respiratory protective equipment defects to the manufacturer and certifying agency.

Supervisors/Work Leads

• Complete EHS0318, Respirator Supervisor Training, (not required, but recommended for supervisors of filtering facepiece respirators).
• Ensure that employees assigned to wear respirators for a given task or job are clean-shaven before respirators are worn.
• Identify, with the assistance of the EHS Industrial Hygiene and Radiation Protection Groups, those employees who may need respiratory protective equipment.
• Ensure that employees required to wear respiratory protective equipment receive the initial and subsequent medical evaluation, fit testing, and training required by the RPP.
• Ensure that employees maintain respiratory equipment in a clean and sanitary condition.
• Ensure that respirators are returned to the RPPA when employees no longer need the respirator or leave the Laboratory.
• Ensure that employees receive medical re-evaluations if they report medical signs or symptoms that are related to their ability to use a respirator.
• Ensure that an employee receives medical re-evaluations if the supervisor or principal investigator feels that the employee needs to be re-evaluated.
• Ensure that employees receive medical re-evaluations if a change in workplace conditions, such as physical work effort, protective clothing, or temperature, may result in a substantial increase in the physiological burden placed on them.

Employees

• Maintain as close a shave as necessary to ensure the proper fit of the respirator for health and safety purposes.
• Use the issued respirator in accordance with this document, the respirator training provided by EHS, and the Training Review Guidelines (Appendix I) provided at each respirator training.
• Inform their supervisor, Industrial Hygiene, or Health Services about any medical signs or symptoms that may be related to respiratory use.
• Inform their supervisor or Industrial Hygiene of changes in workplace conditions that may place an increased physical burden on the employee.
• Protect respiratory protective equipment from damage or modification and ensure that respirators are not disassembled or altered in any way, other than for cleaning or for the change of cartridges or filters.
• Keep respirators clean to ensure they are free of contamination that could affect the fit and compromise personal protection.
• If respirators become contaminated, assure that they are destroyed or cleaned before they are re-used or returned to the RPP.
• Report any malfunction of respiratory protective equipment to the RPPA.
• Return malfunctioning or damaged respirators to the RPPA for repair or replacement.
• Use only issued respirators for which they are trained and fitted.
• Use the correct type of respirator and filter cartridge for the hazard involved, and contact Industrial Hygiene or the RPPA if they have questions regarding cartridge selection.
• Stop work immediately and change filters/cartridges if breathing resistance increases due to filter loading or if chemical breakthrough is detected.
• Inform their supervisor and/or the EHS Division Liaison when new situations arise where respiratory protective equipment may be necessary.
• Return the respirator to the Industrial Hygiene Group in person or through Berkeley Lab mail when respirator use is no longer required or upon leaving employment at Berkeley Lab.

Term

Definition

Air-Purifying Respirator (APR)

A respirator with an air-purifying filter or cartridge that removes specific air contaminants by passing ambient air through the air-purifying element

Filtering Facepiece (Disposable Dust Mask)

A negative pressure particulate respirator with a filter as an integral part of the facepiece, or with the entire facepiece composed of the filtering medium

Fit Test

The use of a protocol to qualitatively or quantitatively evaluate the fit of a particular respirator to a specific person. A fit test must be repeated annually.

Hazardous Atmosphere

Any atmosphere, either immediately or not immediately dangerous to life or health, which is oxygen-deficient or which contains a toxic or disease-producing contaminant exceeding Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) adopted by Berkeley Lab.

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter

A filter that is at least 99.97% efficient in removing monodisperse particles of 0.3 micrometers in diameter. The equivalent NIOSH 42 CFR Part 84 particulate filters are the N100, R100, and P100 filters (see P100 Filter).

Negative Pressure Respirator (tight fitting)

A respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is negative during inhalation with respect to the ambient air pressure outside the respirator

NIOSH

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH provides a testing approval and certification program for respirators, filters, and cartridges.

Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR)

An air-purifying respirator that uses a blower to force the ambient air through air-purifying elements and into the inlet covering

Respirator

A device designed to protect the wearer from the inhalation of harmful atmospheres

Voluntary Use

Situations in which a respirator may be worn for employee comfort but is not necessary (or relied upon) to prevent overexposures

Document Number

Title

Type

07.07.032.001

Respiratory Protection

Program

07.07.032.002

Work Process A. General Requirements

Process

07.07.032.003

Work Process B. Hazard Assessment

Process

07.07.032.004

Work Process C. Medical Evaluation

Process

07.07.032.005

Work Process D. Fit Testing 

Process

07.07.032.006

Work Process E. Respirator Issuance

Process

07.07.032.007

Work Process F. Respirator Use and Return Work

Process

07.07.032.008

Work Process G. Maintenance and Care

Process

07.07.032.009

Work Process H. Training Requirements

Process

07.07.024.001

Personal Protective Equipment

Program

Date

Revision

By Whom

Revision Description

Section(s) Affected

Change Type

1/2/2012

0

H. Toor

Rewrite for wiki

All

Minor

11/16/2012

1

H. Toor

Rewrite for wiki

All

Minor

12/4/2018

1.2

J. Zhu

Update ANSI reference to 2015

Source Requirements

Minor

Title:

Respiratory Protection

Document number

07.07.032.000

Revision number

1.3

Publication date:

6/15/2020

Effective date:

6/15/2020

Next review date:

6/15/2024

Policy Area:

Industrial Hygiene and Safety

RPM Section (home)

ESH

RPM Section (cross-reference)

None

Functional Division

EHS

Prior reference information (optional)

ES&H Manual Section 4.13

Document Number

Title

Type

07.07.032.001

Respiratory Protection

Program

07.07.032.002

Work Process A. General Requirements

Process

07.07.032.003

Work Process B. Hazard Assessment

Process

07.07.032.004

Work Process C. Medical Evaluation

Process

07.07.032.005

Work Process D. Fit Testing 

Process

07.07.032.006

Work Process E. Respirator Issuance

Process

07.07.032.007

Work Process F. Respirator Use and Return Work

Process

07.07.032.008

Work Process G. Maintenance and Care

Process

07.07.032.009

Work Process H. Training Requirements

Process

07.07.024.001

Personal Protective Equipment

Program