Respiratory Protection and Fit Testing: What OSHA Requires

OSHA’s first choice is always to control airborne hazards at the source with engineering controls (ventilation, enclosure, substitution of less toxic materials) and work practices. Respirators are required when those controls are not feasible, while they are being installed, or when they do not reduce exposure enough. They are also required in emergencies.

Respirators are common in:

When respirators are required, the employer must provide them at no cost and run a written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures, managed by a suitably trained program administrator.

• Procedures for selecting respirators based on the hazards and exposure levels.
• Medical evaluations of employees required to use respirators.
• Fit testing procedures for tight-fitting respirators.
• Procedures for proper use in routine and reasonably foreseeable emergencies.
• Cleaning, disinfecting, storing, inspecting, repairing and discarding respirators.
• Ensuring adequate air quality for atmosphere-supplying respirators.
• Training on respiratory hazards and on proper use, limitations and maintenance.
• Regular evaluation of the program’s effectiveness.

For air-purifying respirators against gases and vapors, the program must include a cartridge change schedule unless the cartridge has an end-of-service-life indicator. Respirators are chosen using assigned protection factors: for example, a half-mask air-purifying respirator has an APF of 10 and a full facepiece has an APF of 50.

Breathing through a respirator puts extra strain on the heart and lungs. Before a worker is fit tested or uses a respirator, a physician or other licensed health care professional must evaluate whether they can safely wear it, usually through the confidential questionnaire in Appendix C of the standard or an equivalent exam. The employer receives only a written recommendation about the worker’s ability to use the respirator, not their medical details. Follow-up evaluations are required when, for example, the worker reports symptoms or workplace conditions change.

Every worker using a tight-fitting respirator (including N95 filtering facepieces, half masks and full facepieces) must pass a fit test with the same make, model, style and size they will use. Fit testing is required before first use, whenever a different facepiece is used, at least once a year, and when changes such as major weight change, dental work or facial scarring could affect the fit.

Fit testing is a hands-on test with the actual respirator on your face, so it cannot be done online. Your employer arranges it using one of the OSHA-accepted protocols in Appendix A.

Every time you put on a tight-fitting respirator, do a user seal check: a positive-pressure check (exhale gently with the exhalation valve covered) and a negative-pressure check (inhale gently with the inlets covered). If air leaks around the edges, adjust and try again; if it still leaks, do not enter the hazard area.

Tight-fitting respirators may not be worn by anyone with facial hair that comes between the sealing surface and the face, or that interferes with valve function. Stubble counts. Workers who cannot be clean-shaven for religious or medical reasons may be able to use a loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) instead.

Workers must be trained before they first use a respirator and at least once a year after that, and again when workplace conditions or respirator types change. They must be able to explain why the respirator is needed, how fit and maintenance affect protection, its limits, how to use it in emergencies, how to inspect, put on, remove and seal check it, how to clean and store it, and what medical signs and symptoms limit its use.

Voluntary use: if a worker chooses to wear a respirator when it is not required, the employer must give them the information in Appendix D. If the voluntary respirator is anything other than a filtering facepiece (dust mask), the employer must also provide a medical evaluation and cleaning and storage procedures.

OSHA does not approve, certify or accredit online training providers. An online course covers the knowledge side of the annual training. Your employer must still provide the medical evaluation, the fit test and hands-on practice with your actual respirator. With Gama Safety you pass the exam with 80% or better (unlimited free retakes) and download your certificate and printable wallet card right away.