Respiratory protection FAQs: OSHA answers common compliance questions
According to OSHA, an estimated five million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces throughout the U.S. Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors and sprays. These hazards may cause cancer, lung impairment, diseases or death. Compliance with the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard could avert hundreds of deaths and thousands of illnesses annually. Following are OSHA’s answers to some frequently asked questions regarding respiratory protection.
OSHA’s respirator standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, requires the use of respirators to protect employees from breathing contaminated and/or oxygen-deficient air when effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted. Several other OSHA regulations also require the use of respirators.