Which Respirator Is Right For Me?

Creating an effective respiratory protection strategy is a must when dealing with applications that put workers in harm’s way. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to have a respiratory protection program in place, which includes selecting the right type of respirator to protect employees from hazardous airborne materials. Choosing the right respirator requires knowledge of the airborne hazards that may be present, how those hazards affect worker health, and what protective equipment is available to mitigate exposure.

1. How do I choose the right respirator for a job?

There are two major kinds of respirators: negative-pressure and air-purifying. Both kinds protect against dusts, mists, fumes, and gases. But they do it in different ways. Negative-pressure respirators create a seal around your face to keep contaminated air from entering your lungs.In contrast to positive-pressure, which vents air into the air while leaving enough of an opening for air to pass, negative-pressure respirators force air out of your lungs.

 The principles and effectiveness of respirators are well-known and are used throughout high-level public settings, like factories. Employers should ensure that their respirators are sufficient for the unique hazards presented and that workers are trained in how to use and maintain these devices. In many places, it’s the responsibility of factory managers and other project managers to ensure that workers are being properly equipped and are following safety policies. When needed, the employer should be involved with supervising proper use and repair.

Four Factors to Consider

Consultants typically use the law of the regulator to determine the best respirator selection for an application. Usually OSHA treats dust inhalation as a high-rotating hazard requiring a high level of protection, whereas exposing workers to fumes from volatile liquids is a less frequent exposure but still requires a high level of protection. According to OSHA’s website, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) lists eight factors that it considers when surveying the level of protection that is afforded by respiratory protection devices.

 Worn out or worn out. Worn out respirators only correct the design, and once the manufacturer no longer makes these parts available, the respirators are no longer effective. Conversely, new devices may improve the effectiveness of old ones within the first few uses. Newer filters mean newer products.

 Nasal diffusion. Nasal diffusion—or the process of breathing through your mouth while your nose is closed—is included under an appendix in the OSHA’s OSHA Minimum Standards and Recommended Practices (MSRP) for respiratory protection. Worn-out devices do not diffuse inhaled dust.

 Functionality.

2. What factors influence my respirator selection?

Respirator selection is based on the type of protection required and the hazards you’re exposed to. There are four categories of respirators:

1. Air Purifying Respirators (APR) 

2. Supplied Air Respirators (SAR) 

3. Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) 

4.Sweat and Carbon Dioxide Neutralizers (SOCO)

The most common type of respirator is likely an APR or an air purifying respirator. These devices are often available in hardware stores and are available to most employers upon hire. These devices are light, airtight, and provide a tight seal against the inside of the shell without requiring tools. They remain sealable for 5 years, which allows for continual use. Depending on the device used, these chemical compounds will filter out pollutants and other irritants that may cause a nuisance or serious health hazard.

To get a clear picture of how your particular workplace is treating emergency breathing, it’s a good idea to have a detailed OSHA Standard 5411-1 respiration management training plan. You’ll need to pass a written test on the following items:

How to use the equipment safely

How to react if working with the equipment

The breathing techniques to use with this equipment

Specific exercises to develop fine motor skills when using this equipment

A list of personal protective equipment options when using the equipment.

An effective training plan should reflect workplace activity and be constantly updated to stay current. It should focus on the following areas:

What type of respiratory protection is needed?

How to use the equipment safely and appropriately?

How to react if breathing occurs?

Specific exercises to develop fine motor skills when using the equipment.

The breathing techniques to use with this equipment.

Specific exercises to develop basic fine motor skills when using the equipment.

When to use the equipment, physical reactions, etc.

Some schools of thought for developing the trainings assert that using the equipment allows you a feeling of “responsibility” and training.

3. How can I be sure my respirator fits properly?

Before you start working with any hazardous materials, you should make sure you have the right equipment for the job. Be sure to check with your local OSHA office for specific requirements for respirators, face shields, or other respiratory protections.

N95 respirators, which protect employees from airborne hazards, are not overly protective. They have a 150 micron concentration of filter on their filters; that’s about the thickness of a paper clip, and as small a particle as 0.3 microns can fit through these filters.

Therefore when choosing your own respirator, first consider the dimensions, density, fit, and aesthetic of the respirator you are using. We recommend the J&J Benna 100-600 mask, as they are easy to open and close without causing undue discomfort. We also highly recommend the B shares, which have quick-release filters, and are easy to clean.

Protective masks are the next essential piece of equipment to ensure the health and safety of your employees. These filters block and attenuate the airborne pathogens commonly found in the workplace, including:

Our suggestion is the Uplift 65, which are the only respirators that meet all of the requirements for a respirator in a mask format. This will help avoid respiratory illnesses during your dangerous worker encounter and help to prevent your employees from getting sick in the first place.

This protective gear also includes a respiratory monitor (respiratory protective device), which is a small piece of glass or plastic typically worn around the neck or armpit. It will give an easy-to-read measurement of your respiratory rate, including average and peak, to help monitor your worker’s health over time. By monitoring respiratory rate and giving yourself an easy way to compare yourself to others, you can spot and correct common respiratory rate variations. A respirator and a respiratory monitor together will help you ensure your workforce is in the best possible health.

4. What special considerations should I keep in mind when selecting a respirator?

You need to make sure that you’re selecting the best respirator for the job. For example, a respirator designed to be worn for a few hours isn’t going to be helpful if you need to wear it for longer periods of time. Additionally, some types of respirators, while providing passive protection, can cause epithelial damage, or break down the outer layers of the mucous membranes, causing coughing, wheezing, or runny nose. It is important to take these considerations into consideration before you choose a respirator for your employees.

These are three simple steps you can take to ensure your employees have an effective respiratory protection program when dealing with necessary applications.

Approximately 13,000 people die from the effects of workplace exposures each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These exposures are mostly the result of exposure to hazardous substances, including 15,000 workers who work with hazardous substances on a daily basis — a fact that OSHA is very focused on protecting workers from.

Many employees take part in hazardous equipment such as welding, painting, mining, or installation machinery. However, this exposure is not one that comes up often in conversations about respiratory protection. In fact, some of these jobs may not require respirators…As a result, sometimes people don’t even realize that they need to take the required training when it comes to respiratory protection. Now, it’s time to make sure that these critical steps are taken.

First, make sure that you have an accessible, user-friendly training program. Training is important because you can manage expectations and show people the correct procedures for wearing the right protective equipment. It can also ensure that you are complying with federal and state regulations. In order to ensure that you are providing proper training and meeting requirements, you will want to conduct interviews with your employees on how to properly use respirators, what health effects they may be facing, and how to protect them when they are working with potentially hazardous materials.

5. Where can I find more information about respirators and other respiratory protection devices?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a great website to help you learn how to choose and use a respirator properly.

As an example, for my steroid inhalation strategy, we will explore a Zoom strategy using safety pin templates and standard employee masks. Safety pin templates are essentially instructions for construction workers that encourages protecting their neck and back with a respirator.

Once organizations have determined that a particular Risk assessment method will protect their workers and mitigate the possibility of exposure, they can follow specific instructions to set up their respirators. In my case, our example RN was required to wear an N95 mask, attach the safety pin to the mask, and secure the mask to her body with a velcro strap while wearing a Weger glove on her left hand. Everything needed to work was there in the template, but after you put it all together, test it out through a simulated exposure scenario. Make adjustments as needed until you’re comfortable with the combination.

As employers, it is our responsibility to understand the risks involved with each of the possible risks that may be presented in our applications so that we can protect our employees from those risks. This process allows for the proper selection of protective equipment, along with the correct methodology for assessing and managing exposure. Once we have selected the appropriate respirators, we need to be comfortable that the equipment is properly ventilated enough to eliminate risk of exposure.

Related: Maintain Your Personal Protection During Work

Final Thoughts

The respirator said it all. I am not even joking when I say that my model performed flawlessly. I knew going in, as every physician that I asked for their honest opinion assured me of the disease potential of Viral Covid-19. But I never knew the true cost of negligence on top of injury, loss of productivity, and decreased productivity.