In the United States, workers required to wear respiratory protection must pass an annual respirator fit test. Fit tests help companies ensure worker safety by verifying a respirator can provide an OSHA-mandated and standardized level of protection.
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.
Keeping employees safe can be a huge expense to your company. But when you consider what’s at stake, human lives and life’s best moments, personal safety is invaluable.
Keeping up with the ever-accelerating pace of technological advancements can be difficult. This article will look at some of the latest advancements in respiratory PPE, then analyze principles that underpin effective PPE and give your company a competitive advantage.
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.
Even when respirator use is not required in certain situations, OSHA and State OSHA agencies require employers to meet certain obligations for workers who voluntarily wear respirators on the job. Most workers who wear respirators use them because they are required to do so by their employer to protect them from airborne hazards.
