Certain respirators, known as tight-fitting respirators, must form a tight seal with your face or neck to work properly, according to OSHA. If your respirator doesn't fit your face properly, contaminated air can leak into your respirator facepiece, and you could breathe in hazardous substances.
The PPE market has certainly changed over the years. There is a long history of personal protection from animal parts and hides to sophisticated materials and designs used today. The role of PPE in America’s workforce has continued to expand, improve and drives positive results.
Question: If an employee with a neatly trimmed goatee is wearing a respirator and it does not interfere with the seal of the face piece or valve function, and has passed a fit test, does this meet the intent of the OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard?
Once again, OSHA has found workers at Basic Marine, Inc. in Escanaba, Michigan exposed to dangerous amputation hazards while operating press brakes because safety mechanisms were not in place. The machines cut large metal pieces weighing up to 450 tons.
