Introduction
The purpose of the Respiratory Protection Program is to ensure that employees wearing respirators are adequately protected against the hazardous effects of airborne contaminants. This involves:

1. Identifying employees/jobs/departments where exposure to hazardous chemicals results in the need for respiratory protection.
2. Selecting and providing the appropriate respirator(s) to protect employees while controls are being implemented, or if the implemented controls do not reduce employee exposures to acceptable levels.
3. Providing for the medical evaluation of all employees required to wear respirators before they are fit tested or required to wear a respirator.
4. Providing qualitative or quantitative fit testing of employees prior to requiring them to wear any respirator with a negative or positive pressure tight-fitting facepiece.
5. Training employees in the proper use, maintenance, storage and limitations of respirators.
6. Monitoring the effectiveness of the respiratory program.

The following steps should aid you in developing your Respiratory Protection Program.

1. Evaluate the respiratory hazards in the workplace.
Identify and list the chemicals that are routinely emitted from processes and operations. A starting point is the list of hazardous chemicals in your Hazard Communication Program and/or Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).

Conduct industrial hygiene monitoring (air sampling) to determine the employees' exposures to chemicals, or review existing monitoring data. Monitoring results are used to determine the type of respirator required.

Identify sources where an accidental release would constitute an emergency requiring trained spill-response (Refer to 29 CFR 1910.120).

2. Select appropriate respirators
Using the information in Respirator Selection Criteria, determine the appropriate respirator based on your evaluation of the respiratory hazards. Perform this step for each job or operation where respirators will be worn.

Obtain operating instructions from potential or selected suppliers of your respiratory protection equipment.

Note: The chemicals listed in the OSHA Chemicals section are specifically regulated by OSHA with respect to the types of respirators required under various use conditions.

3. Provide medical evaluation to employees required to use respirators
Identify a physician or other licensed health care professional to perform medical evaluations using a medical questionnaire or an initial medical examination that obtains the same information as the medical questionnaire. The health care professional needs to provide written recommendations back to you, the employer, regarding each employee's ability to use a respirator.

4. Conduct fit testing
Before an employee is required to use any respirator with a negative or positive pressure tight-fitting facepiece, the employee must be fit tested with the same make, model, style and size of respirator that will be used. Refer to Fit Testing for OSHA-accepted fit testing protocols.

5. Develop and implement a written Respiratory Protection Program
The written program needs to include:

• Procedures for selecting respirators for use in the workplace
• Medical evaluations of employees required to use respirators
• Fit testing procedures for tight-fitting respirators
• Procedures for proper use of respirators in routine and reasonably foreseeable emergency situations
• Procedures and schedules for cleaning, disinfecting, storing, inspecting, repairing, discarding and otherwise maintaining respirators
• Procedures to ensure adequate air quality, quantity, and flow of breathing air for atmosphere-supplying respirators
• Training of employees in the respiratory hazards to which they are potentially exposed during routine and emergency situations
• Training of employees in the proper use of respirators, including putting on and removing them, and any limitations on their use and their maintenance
• Procedures for regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the program.

A sample Respiratory Protection Program is included with this kit.

6. Develop and implement a training program for all employees included in the Respiratory Protection Program
The training program must provide employees with the following information:

• Why the respirator is necessary and how improper fit, usage or maintenance can compromise the protective effect of the respirator
• What the limitations and capabilities of the respirator are
• How to use the respirator effectively in emergency situations, including situations in which the respirator malfunctions
• How to inspect, put on and remove, use and check the seals of the respirator
• What the procedures are for maintenance and storage of the respirator
• How to recognize medical signs and symptoms that may limit or prevent the effective use of respirators
• The general requirements of the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard.

Each respirator wearer should be trained upon initial assignment, prior to requiring the employee to use a respirator in the workplace, and be retrained at least annually.

7. Provide for periodic assessment (remonitoring) of the work environment
Changes in operating procedures, temperature, air movement, humidity and work practices may influence the concentration of a substance in the work area atmosphere. These factors necessitate periodic monitoring of the air contaminant concentration. Testing should continue to assure that the contaminant exposure has not risen above the maximum protective capability of the respirators being used.

8. Audit the program
Periodically, at least annually, audit the Respiratory Protection Program. The purpose of the program audit is to ensure the program is functioning as intended.