OSHA requires that in any workplace where respirators are necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer, a written respiratory protection program must be established and implemented.
The program includes procedures specific to each worksite and is intended to prevent employees from inhaling harmful contaminants. Specifically, each employer must provide respirators to protect workers from workplace hazards to prevent inhalation of hazardous materials that cannot be controlled by other measures (i.e., engineering or administrative controls).