Respirators

THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE

Are respirators necessary to protect the health of your employees?  To help you decide if a respiratory program is necessary and, if so, what type of respirator(s) to use, the primary step involves contacting an industrial hygienist to determine the level of contaminants in your workplace.  The certified industrial hygienist will test the air quality.  An air quality test will check the oxygen level of the air and the level of the following contaminants:

• Carbon Dioxide
• Carbon Monoxide
• Odor
• Oil
• Water

For a listing of industrial hygienists in your area, click on the following link to the Association of Industrial Hygienists -

www.aiha.org/about-ih/Pages/Find-an-Industrial-Hygienist.aspx

After the air quality test, if the hygienist determines that your employees need respiratory protection, per OSHA Regulation CFR 29 1910.134, all employers must establish a compliant respiratory protection program prior to allowing their employees to wear a respirator.  To assist employers in this process, we recommend the services of National Fit Test Services.  Below is a link to their website -

www.nationalfittestservices.com