• Respirators protect against smoke and other contaminants.smoke image by cherie from Fotolia.com
  
  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has standards in place that govern the use of respiratory protection when workers are exposed to airborne hazards. Hazards in the air can include dust, gases, mists, smoke and vapors. The OSHA standards are in place to protect workers against illness, injury or death cased by airborne hazards. The physical requirements cover guidelines about the respiratory equipment that should be used.
  
  

General Requirements

• The respiratory equipment must be able to protect against contaminants in the air. Each employee that will be in the vicinity of the airborne contaminants must be equipped with a respirator if other measures cannot protect them from the hazardous airborne contaminants. Each employer must develop a written plan for respiratory protection for its employees. The written plan must include appropriate procedures for respirator use in the work site. The plan must be implemented and updated whenever circumstances in the workplace change that affect the use of respirators. Employers should refer to the OSHA standards to ensure that they are meeting the requirements that pertain to their specific working conditions.
  
  

Certification

• In most types of workplaces, the employer must select respirators that are NIOSH certified. NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Air-purifying respirators need to be equipped with an end-of-service-life indicator when dealing with some types of contaminants. There are other requirements that may be applicable depending on the work site and type of contaminants in the workspace air.
  
  

Fit Testing

• Employers who issue respirators to their workers are required to conduct fit testing to ensure the respirators are appropriate and effective. Fit testing involves carefully selecting the proper sizes of respirators for the workers, and training the workers how to position the respirator to determine an appropriate fit. The mask must be worn for at least five minutes to make sure there is no discomfort to the wearer. The seal should be checked by following the respirator manufacturer's seal test instructions.
  
  

Maintenance

• Employers are required to ensure that respirators are cleaned and maintained under OSHA guidelines. The equipment must be disinfected in a way that does not damage the respirator or cause harm to the workers who use them. The cleaning procedures under OSHA standards include removing parts, washing components, rinsing and disinfecting. The components must be hand-dried before reassembling. After cleaning and disinfecting, the equipment must be tested.