Respiratory Protective Equipment

Identify the hazards.

1. At a high level, there are three types of respiratory hazard:

   Particulate Hazards: e.g mists, fumes, dusts of fibres.

   Gas and Vapour Hazards: e.g. solvent vapours are acidic gases.

   Oxygen Deficient Atmospheres: e.g often found in confined spaces and/or where oxygen is consumed by materials or combustion.

2. You need to understand the types of hazards that your workers encounter before you can make a decision on suitable RPE for the work enviroment.

   Consider the type of work that is undertaken and identify:

   1. Process Generated Hazards e.g dust from sanding wood or gases released in a reaction. Some work activities, such as heating or cutting materials, could generate harmful substances which contaminate the air in the form of mists, dusts, fumes or gases.

   2. Bought-in Hazards e.g. bottled gases, solvants or chemicals.

      Any product that is classed as 'Dangerous for Supply' will come with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSMDS) or Safety Data Sheet (SDS) which should provide infomation on:

      • health hazards (on product labeling)
      • forms of the sunstances contained in the product
      • the type of RPE required for its use

Assess the Risk

Make sure the RPE you select is adequate to protect your workers against any harmful substances in the air around them. To do this you need to understand the amount in the air and the form it takes (e.g. vapour or particles), to effectively assess the concentration of the hazard.

There are various types of respirator and breathing apparatus available and the protection they offer depends on a number of things, including the protection factor. To help you, each type and class of RPE is categorised by a protection factor which takes the form of either a Nominal Protection Factor (NPF) or an Assigned Protection Factor (APF).

Things to check

1. Check the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of bought-in hazards - does it provide guidance on the required APF?

2. Does the substance have a prescribed Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL)? If there is no advice on the required APF in the MSDS, you can calculate the required protection level using the OEL and quantity of substance in the air.

3. If there is more than one hazard present, e.g. dust and gas, you will need to find out the protection factor for each and choose appropriate RPE based on the highest protection factor required.

Provide Approved RPE/PPE

Disposable Respirators	Reusable Respirators	Powered Respirators	Air-fed Respirators
In general, disposable respirators only protect the wearer from particulate hazards. Features of disposable respiratory products: Different moulded shapes to suit individuals Valved or unvalved options – valved respirators reduce exhalation effort so they are cooler to wear and reduce misting of eyewear Most disposable respirators feature adjustable nose clips for added comfort Benefits of using disposable respirators: Easy to use – no maintenance is required Hygienic – discard after use Cost–effective and versatile	Available in full and half-mask options, reusable respirators protect the wearer from particulate and/or gas and vapour hazards depending on the filter type selected. Features of reusable respiratory products: Wide variety of sizes, styles and filter types available to suit individual requirements Full and half-mask options – full face respirators also protect the eyes Hypoallergenic options also available Benefits of using reusable respirators: Versatile; filters can be changed to protect from multiple hazard Can be recorded and used as part of the health and safety regulations relating to reusable RPE monthly inspection and maintenance records	One of the main benefits of using powered (or supplied air) over disposable or reusable respirators is that they do not require fit testing to be carried out. They use a battery powered fan and motor to draw contaminated air through a filter. The filter captures certain contaminants and clean air is fed to the wearer. Suitable for use over long shifts - no increase in breathing resistance Can offer integrated head, eye and face protection Allows the wearer to walk freely around without any trailing tubes 𝕏 Cannot be used to protect against substances with poor warning properties (taste/ smell) 𝕏 Must not be used in conditions that are oxygen deficient or immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH)	Like powered respirators, airfed respirators do not require fit testing as the products are classed as loose fitting. They use breathable quality air supplied from a compressor via a tube. The compressed air is regulated to a gentle flow and fed to the wearer. Can be used to protect against substances with poor warning properties (taste/ smell) Can offer integrated head, eye and face protection Suitable for use over long shifts - no increase in breathing resistance 𝕏 Must not be used in conditions that are oxygen deficient or immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH)

Train in Fitting and Use

If RPE is not worn correctly it will not provide the required protection, so it is vital that you integrate RPE use into normal workplace activities and provide adequate training. It is often best, if possible, to give a choice of several adequate and suitable RPE to wearers to so they can select the most comfortable.

All people involved in the selection, use, storage and maintenance (if necessary) of RPE require training. Ideally this needs should cover:

• Why RPE is necessary
• Why RPE is necessary
• The type of RPE being provide
• How it works
• Why fit testing is required (if relevant)
• How to wear and check equipment correctly
• Fit checking before use
• Details of maintenance required/when
• How to clean and store
• What to do if there's a problem with any RPE
• Responsibilities of both employer and employees
• RPE use and misuse

Fit Testing

Face piece fit testing is a way of checking that a tightfitting face piece (typically disposable and reusable respirators, although this can include half and full face masks, including those that form part of an air-fed or powered respirator) fits the wearer’s facial features and forms an adequate seal. Fit testing of all tight fitting respirators is mandatory in the UK. In certain other countries, fit testing of tight fitting respirators is mandatory in certain industries. Further information about Fit Testing can be found at fit2fit- the UK Fit2Fit accreditation scheme for testers.