Once a company has implemented a comprehensive respiratory protection program, it is critical to then determine how well the program is working. Measuring program effectiveness helps determine if employees are receiving the protection that the program was designed for and when it is necessary to make adjustments to the program.
Implementing the respiratory program is the easy part since methodologies for hazard evaluation, respiratory regulation, compliance elements and selection of the appropriate respiratory protection are relatively straightforward. Measuring the program’s effectiveness is not as clear cut. The metrics that must be used in evaluating the existing program, to a large extent, are qualitative, although there can be some quantitative elements involved depending upon the contaminant and the employer’s ability to have field workplace tests performed.