An estimated 5 million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces throughout the United States. The general industry standard protects the health of employees from harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, and vapors.
Employees who will use ASTM F2733 often work outdoors during conditions involving rain and wind. Flame resistant rainwear is required that provides protection against hazards. Most rainwear meeting requirements of F2733 also protect against hot liquid splash hazards.
Falls from heights and on the same level (a working surface) are among the leading causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths. OSHA estimates that 202,066 serious (lost-workday) injuries and 345 fatalities occur annually among workers directly affected by the final standard.
Personal protective equipment or PPE is equipment worn to minimize exposure to chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards.
Z88.2 is a new standard that sets the pace for the respirator program for the next decade. The 2015 version incorporates regulatory and national standards changes that have occurred during the past 23 years.
Since the 2010 revision was a dramatic shift away from product configuration requirements and toward a hazard-based structure, much of the revised language in ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2015 reflects the effort to fine-tune this approach.
For workers in the chemical, petroleum and related industries flash fires, a fire that spreads rapidly through a diffuse fuel, is a concern that requires specific personal protective equipment.