Introduction
The following is a sample Respiratory Protection Program that you may use as a guide in developing your program. Your written program should convey what you are doing to safeguard employees and comply with the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard. (A Microsoft Word version of this program is included at the end of this section).

Our Respiratory Protection Program

General company policy
The purpose of this notice is to inform you that our company is complying with the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard, Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.134, by including all employees required to wear respirators in this program. The purpose of this program is to ensure that the respirators given to employees provide adequate protection, are properly fitted, maintained and used and do not pose an unreasonable health hazard.

Wherever possible, engineering and/or administrative controls will be implemented to reduce or eliminate employee exposures to airborne contaminants. The company will implement feasible engineering controls such as process modification, substitution of hazardous chemicals with less hazardous chemicals, isolation or containment of hazardous operations, and/or the use of ventilation (general or local exhaust).

This program will include air sampling to document employee exposure levels to airborne chemicals, respirator selection based on the results of air monitoring, medical evaluation to ensure employees are physically capable of wearing respirators and employee training.

This program applies to the employees in the following job descriptions/activities:

• welders
• grinder operators
• spray painting

The safety and health manager, [NAME] , is the program administrator, acting as the representative of the plant manager, who has ultimate responsibility for the program. Copies of the written program may be obtained from [NAME] in Room 105.

Under this program, you will be informed of the contents of the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard; the nature, extent and effects of respiratory hazards in the workplace; the need for respiratory protection; how to use, inspect and maintain your respirator; and company regulations concerning respirator use.

Compliance with our company's safety and health requirements, including the Respiratory Protection Program, is a condition of employment. Failure to comply with the requirements of this program will result in disciplinary action outlined in the company's safety and health program.

Responsibilities

Corporate
To comply with this standard, management will:

• Provide respirators, without charge, as necessary to protect our employees;
• Provide respirators that are applicable and suitable for the purpose intended, based upon an evaluation of the work environment;
• Identify a physician or other licensed health care professional to perform medical evaluations of all employees required to wear respirators;
• Allow employees to complete the Respiratory Medical Evaluation Questionnaire during normal working hours or at a time convenient to the employee;
• Establish and maintain this Respiratory Protection Program.

Program administrator
The program administrator's responsibilities under this program include:

• Arranging for air monitoring in the work area prior to respirator selection and periodically thereafter;
• Selecting the appropriate respirator for each job where respirators are required;
• Fit-testing employees required to wear respirators prior to their being assigned to a work area where respirator use is required;
• Reviewing and updating the program, as necessary;
• Maintaining records, written procedures and copies of this program;
• Evaluating (auditing) the program

Supervisors
It is the responsibility of the following individuals to supervise the use of respirators in the locations or job functions listed, and to ensure that respirators are used when they are required and in the manner in which the wearer is trained. The supervisors listed below are responsible to the program administrator in all matters relating to respirator use.

Name	Location/Job Function
Fred Thomas	Welding Shop
Karen Smith	Grinding Shop
Harry Jones	Paint Shop

The supervisors will ensure that employees are allowed to leave the respirator use area:

• To wash their faces and respirator facepieces as necessary to prevent eye or skin irritation associated with respirator use
• If they detect vapor or gas breakthrough, changes in breathing resistance or leakage of the facepiece
• To replace the respirator or the filter, cartridge or canister elements.

Employees wearing respirators
It is the responsibility of each respirator wearer to wear his or her respirator when and where it is required, and in the manner in which trained. It is the responsibility of each respirator wearer to ensure that the respirator is functioning properly at all times, and to report any malfunction of the respirator to the appropriate supervisor.

It is the responsibility of each respirator wearer to guard against mechanical damage to the respirator and to ensure that, when worn intermittently, the respirator is kept in a clean and sanitary location between each use.

It is the responsibility of each respirator wearer to complete the Medical Evaluation Questionnaire, and to report to the program administrator any change in their medical status that may impact their ability to safely wear a respirator.

If the respirator is maintained by the wearer, they are responsible for ensuring that the respirator is cleaned and maintained as instructed. Otherwise, each respirator wearer is to return the respirator to the program administrator for cleaning and maintenance, as instructed.

Hazard evaluation
Respirators will be selected only after a determination has been made as to the actual or potential exposure of the company's employees to harmful concentrations of contaminants in the workplace. This determination is made under the direction of the program administrator:

The determination is performed prior to commencing any routine task or nonroutine task requiring respirator protection. Periodically thereafter, but not less than every 12 months, a review of the real and/or potential exposure is made to determine if respiratory protection continues to be required, and if so, if current respirators will provide adequate protection.

Records of all hazard evaluations are on file with the program administrator.

Respirator selection
The company will provide respirators, free of charge, to all employees required to wear them. Only those respirators approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are purchased by this company and used by its employees. Non-approved respirators are not to be used by an employee, even where respirator use is voluntary.

Respirators are selected on the basis of the respiratory hazard(s) to which the employee is exposed, and workplace and user factors that affect respirator performance and reliability. Respirators will be selected following the identification and evaluation of respiratory hazards in the workplace. The respirator selection criteria can be found in Appendix [#] of this program.

Gases/vapors
Based on air sampling already conducted, employees exposed to gases and vapors will be provided air-purifying respirators equipped with an end-of-service-life indicator (ESLI) certified by NIOSH for the contaminant in question. Cartridges will be changed when indicated by the ESLI.

In those instances where there is no ESLI appropriate for conditions in the workplace, a cartridge change schedule for cartridges will be established by the Program Administrator. The cartridge change program will be based on objective information to ensure that cartridges are changed before the end of their service life.

Example:
Where air-purifying respirators are routinely used at the following locations or job functions, filters and cartridges are to be replaced according to the schedule indicated by the following code:

Particulates
For employees exposed to airborne particulates, the company will provide air-purifying respirators equipped with a filter certified by NIOSH under 30 CFR Part 11 as a high-efficiency particulate air filter, or an air-purifying respirator equipped with a filter certified by NIOSH under 42 CFR part 84.

The company's respirator selection records are kept in section [#] of this program manual.

Issuing respirators
Respirators are issued by the program administrator. Respirators are issued only to those employees who have in their possession a valid respirator fitting card. Only a respirator on which an employee has been currently fitted and trained is issued.

Selected respirators for employee use
Respirators, appropriate to the hazard, are used only in those locations and/or job functions indicated:

Medical evaluation
All employees required to wear respirators will be examined by a company-identified physician or other licensed health care professional. The examination will include a medical evaluation using a medical questionnaire or an initial medical examination that obtains the same information as the medical questionnaire.

The medical questionnaire and examinations will be administered during the employee's normal working hours, or at a time and place convenient to the employee.

As part of the examination process, the following information will be provided to the examining health care professional by the program administrator.

• The type and weight of the respirator to be used by the employee
• The duration and frequency of respirator use
• The expected physical work effort
• Additional protective clothing and equipment to be worn
• Temperature and humidity extremes that may be encountered in the workplace.

Additional medical evaluations will be provided to employees if:

• An employee reports medical signs or symptoms that are related to the use of a respirator.
• A health care professional, supervisor or the respirator program administrator informs management that an employee needs to be reevaluated.
• Information from the Respiratory Protection Program, including observations made during fit testing and program evaluation, indicates a need for employee reevaluation; or,
• A change occurs in workplace conditions that may result in a substantial increase in the physiological burden placed on an employee.

Fit testing
No employee is allowed to wear a respirator with a negative- or positive-pressure tight-fitting facepiece until they have demonstrated that an acceptable fit can be obtained. This is done utilizing OSHA-accepted fit-testing protocols (Fit Testing). Consequently, the employee wears only the same type of respirator with which he or she was fitted in the workplace.

Employees will undergo qualitative fit testing when initially assigned any respirator with a negative or positive pressure tight-fitting facepiece. Qualitative fit testing is adequate because air sampling results show that the respirators provided must achieve a fit factor of 100 or less. Employees will be fit tested using a respirator of the same make, model, style and size of respirator that the employee will normally use.

The fit test will be administered by the program administrator using an OSHA-accepted protocol. (Copies of the protocol can be obtained from the program administrator.) Fit testing will be conducted prior to the initial use of the respirator, whenever a different respirator facepiece (size, style, model or make) is used, following any changes that affect the facepiece-to-face seal, and at least annually thereafter.

Fit tests will not be given to an employee if there is any growth between the skin and the facepiece-sealing surface, such as stubble beard growth, beard, mustache or sideburns, that cross the respirator-sealing surface. Consequently, employees working in areas where tight-fitting respirators are required may not have facial hair that interferes with a respirator face seal.

Individual fitting records are kept on each individual, and may be found on file with the program administrator.

Respirator fit checks
All employees who use tight-fitting respirators are required to perform a user-seal check to ensure than an adequate seal is achieved each time the respirator is put on. Employees will follow the positive- and negative-pressure checks listed in Appendix B-1 of OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134. Copies of the user-seal-check procedures are posted on employee bulletin boards, and are available from the program administrator.

Employees who wear corrective glasses, goggles or other personal protective equipment shall wear such equipment in a manner that does not interfere with the seal of the facepiece to the face of the user.

Maintenance and care of respirators
Employees covered by this program will be provided with a respirator that is clean, sanitary and in good working order. The respirators will be cleaned and disinfected per the respirator manufacturer's instruction, or using the procedures in Appendix B-2 of the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard, 1910.134.

Respirators issued for the exclusive use of an employee will be cleaned and disinfected according to the schedule indicated by the code number:

Respirators issued to more than one employee will be cleaned and disinfected before being worn by different individuals.

Respirators maintained for emergency use will be cleaned and disinfected after each use.

Respirators used in fit testing and training will be cleaned and disinfected after each use.

Respirator storage
At the end of the work day, all respirators will be returned to the program administrator for cleaning, inspection, repair and storage. Respirators are not to be stored in employees' lockers, toolboxes or where they might be damaged or contaminated.

Respirators used intermittently are to be returned to their plastic bag and stored to prevent damage and contamination. At the end of the day (shift), the respirators are to be returned to the program administrator.

Respirator inspection
Respirators will be inspected by the program administrator as follows

• All respirators used in routine situations will be inspected before each use and during cleaning.
• All respirators maintained for use in emergency situations will be inspected at least monthly and in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, and will be checked for proper function before and after each use.
• Prior to donning a respirator, the respirator wearer must inspect the device for defects according to the training received. No respirator is permitted to be worn with a known defect. If found defective during inspection, the respirator is to be returned to the program administrator.

Respirator maintenance/repair
Repairs to respirators will be performed by the program administrator, who has been trained to perform such operations, and will use only the manufacturer's NIOSH-approved parts designed for the respirator.

Identification of filters, cartridges and canisters
Only color-coded filters, cartridges and canisters with the NIOSH approval label will be purchased and used.

NIOSH approval labels are not to be removed and must remain legible. Any non-approved filters, cartridges and canisters should be returned to the program administrator for replacement.

Emergency use respirators

Location(s)
Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs) are stationed at the following locations:
[____________________________]
[____________________________]
[____________________________]

Use
No employee is allowed to use a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) during an emergency unless he or she is:

1. Currently trained in its operation and use.
2. Currently medically qualified to wear the device.

Air quality
Compressed breathing air shall meet at least the requirements for Type 1-Grade E breathing air as described in ANSI/Compressed Gas Association Commodity Specifications for Air, G-7.1-1989. These requirements include:

• Oxygen content of 19.5-23.5 percent
• Hydrocarbon (condensed) content of 5 mg/m3 of air or less
• Carbon monoxide (CO) content of 10 ppm or less
• Carbon dioxide content of 1000 ppm or less
• Lack of noticeable odor.

Inspection
SCBAs are inspected monthly, utilizing the manufacturer's recommendations. Records of the results of these inspections are to be maintained by the program administrator.

Maintenance
SCBAs are to be maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions. No attempt is made to make repairs beyond these instructions. Periodically, as recommended by the manufacturer, each SCBA is removed from service and sent to the manufacturer's factory or an authorized service station for overhaul and calibration.

Compressed air cylinders will be hydrostatically tested according to the SCBA manufacturer's recommendations, and also the regulations of the Department of Transportation. Cylinders on which the hydrostatic test date has lapsed will be removed from service until tested.

Maintenance records on each SCBA will be maintained by the program administrator.

Training and information
Employees required to use respirators will be instructed and trained in the selection, use, care and maintenance of respiratory protective devices. This training will be conducted in a classroom setting and be coordinated by the program administrator working in conjunction with our respiratory protection Vendor.

Training will provide each user an opportunity to handle the respirator, to have it fitted properly, to test its facepiece-to-face seal, to wear it in normal air for a familiarization period and to wear it in a test atmosphere. Retraining will be performed as needed, or at least annually, to ensure an effective program.

The training program will emphasize at least the following:

• 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 respirators 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 this section.

Program evaluation
The program administrator will evaluate the workplace as necessary to ensure that the provisions of this Respiratory Protection Program are being effectively implemented, and that it continues to be effective.

Factors that will be assessed include but are not limited to:

• Respirator fit (including the ability of employees to use respirators without interfering with effective workplace performance
• Appropriate respirator selection for the hazards to which the employee is exposed
• Proper respirator use under the workplace conditions the employee encounters
• Proper respirator maintenance.

Recordkeeping
Records are maintained, and are available to employees upon request, for all medical examinations, fit testing, air sampling surveys and training sessions. Employee requests for records should be directed to [NAME] in [LOCATION].

Additional information
All employees or their designated representatives can obtain further information on the written program and the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard at the Safety and Health Office, Room 105.