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OSHA Respiratory Protection - Documents, Guides, MAnuals, Training mAterials, and Other Free Publications

OSHA Respiratory Protection - Documents, Guides, MAnuals, Training mAterials, and Other Free Publications

OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard - Training and Reference Materials

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Regulations: 1910.134.
Respiratory Protection.

Below are guidance documents, web pages, and online tools related to respiratory protection. Most have been created by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), but some have been prepared by other federal government agencies, such as the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH). Some of the guidance materials were written primarily for employers and respirator program administrators, while others are geared more for workers.

  • The Use of Aftermarket Replacement Component Parts for NIOSH-Approved Respirators. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fact Sheet, (February 2016). Warns workers and employers about the dangers of using replacement component parts or accessories that are not NIOSH-approved for the system.
  • Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit: Resources for Respirator Program Administrators (EPUB | MOBI). NIOSH/OSHA/CDC Toolkit, (2015). Assists hospitals in developing and implementing effective respiratory protection programs, with an emphasis on preventing the transmission of aerosol transmissible diseases (e.g., influenza, TB, SARS, MERS) to healthcare personnel. Appendix D is a template that can be used to customize your facilities program.
  • Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire. OSHA Infosheet (Publication 3789), (May 2015). To facilitate medical evaluations, this resource helps employers conduct medical evaluations for workers who must wear a respirator. Included is the mandatory minimum required medical questionnaire for these evaluations. Once filled out, the forms must be given to the PLHCP and not submitted to OSHA.
  • General Respiratory Protection Guidance for Employers and Workers. OSHA Bulletin, (2011). Provides basic information to employers and workers, who may find themselves using respiratory protection for the first time. Provides information on what respirators are, how they work, and what is needed for a respirator to provide protection.
  • Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard. OSHA Guidebook (Publication 3384), (2011). Provides small entities with a comprehensive step-by-step guide, complete with checklists and commonly asked questions that will aid both workers and employers in small businesses with a better understanding of OSHA's respiratory protection standard.
  • Respiratory Protection. OSHA eTool. Provides employers with instruction on the proper selection of respiratory protection and the development of change schedules for gas/vapor cartridges.
  • Questions and Answers on the Respiratory Protection Standard. OSHA Memo to Regional Administrators, (1998). Provides questions and answers relating to each paragraph of the Respiratory Protection Standard and includes a Spanish translation of the Medical Questionnaire (Appendix C) at the end of the document.
  • Respirators. OSHA QuickCard� (Publication 3280), (2005). Provides employees with a brief description of the different types of respirators available. Also available in Spanish
  • Assigned Protection Factors for the Revised Respiratory Protection Standard. OSHA Guidebook (Publication 3352), (2009). Provides employers with information for selecting respirators for workers, using Assigned Protection Factors (APFs) and Maximum Use Concentrations (MUCs).
  • Respiratory Infection Control: The Difference Between Respirators and Surgical Masks. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2009). Provides employers and workers with information about the differences between respirators and surgical masks.
  • NIOSH Respirator Selection Logic. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005-100, (2004). Provides employers with information on selecting respirators. Replaces the NIOSH Respirator Decision Logic (NIOSH Publication No. 87-108), and includes information on N95 through P100 particulate respirators. An online version, of this decision logic is available as part of the OSHA Respiratory Protection eTool.
  • Respirators. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topics. Provides information and links to topics pertaining to respirators.
  • NIOSH Respirator Trusted-Source Information Page. Provides information to understand the types of respirators, how to identify approved models and outlets for purchase, a listing of all NIOSH-approved and FDA-cleared surgical N95 respirators, a listing of recently revoked respirator approvals and relevant User Notices. It also contains information on how to implement the use of respirators in the workplace and use them appropriately, and includes commonly asked questions and answers (fact sheets), respirator myths, the science of respirator function and performance, and respiratory protective devices not approved by NIOSH.

Respiratory Protection Guidance

1-Bromopropane: OSHA/NIOSH Hazard Alert
(OSHA 3676 - 2014) (English: HTML PDF)

Abrasive Blasting: Protecting Workers from the Hazards of Abrasive Blasting Materials Fact Sheet
(OSHA FS 3697 - 2014) (English: PDF)

Chemical Exposures from Industrial Valve and Piping Systems
(1996, May 14) (English: HTML)

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Escape Respirators
(2003, August 29) (English: HTML PDF)

Deaths Involving the Inadvertent Connection of Air-line Respirators to Inert Gas Supplies
(2004, April 27) (English: HTML PDF)

Ebola: Cleaning and Decontamination of Ebola on Surfaces Fact Sheet
(OSHA FS 3756 - 2016) (English: PDF)

Flu: Influenza in Workers and Pigs - Guidance for Commercial Swine Farmers and Pork Producers Fact Sheet
(2010) (English: HTML PDF)

General Respiratory Protection Guidance for Employers and Workers
(2011) (English: HTML)

Isocyanates: Do You Have Work-Related Asthma? A Guide for You and Your Doctor Fact Sheet
(OSHA FS-3707 - 2014) (English: PDF)

Personal Protective Equipment
(OSHA 3151 - 2004) (English: PDF)

Personal Protective Equipment Fact Sheet
(2000) (English: PDF)
(OSHA FS 3603 - 2012) (Portuguese: PDF)

Proposed Guidance on Workplace Stockpiling of Respirators and Facemasks for Pandemic Influenza
(2008, May 12) (English: PDF)

Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire Infosheet
(OSHA 3789 - 2015) (English: PDF)

Respirators QuickCard�
(OSHA 3280 - 2005) (English: HTML PDF)
(OSHA 3600 - 2012) (Portuguese: PDF)
(OSHA 3280 - 2005) (Spanish: HTML PDF)

Respirators: Start-Up Oxygen in CSE SR-100 Self-Contained Self-Rescuers OSHA Alert
(2012) (English: PDF)

Respiratory Protection Standard: Small Entity Compliance Guide
(OSHA 3384 - 2011) (English: PDF)

Respiratory Protection: NIOSH/OSHA/CDC Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit
(OSHA 3767 - 2015) (English: DOC EPUB MOBI PDF)

Spirometry: OSHA/NIOSH Spirometry InfoSheet
A spirometry breathing test shows how well you can move air in and out of your lungs. Testing may be performed on workers who perform jobs that may cause exposure to possible lung hazards, are physically demanding, or require wearing a respirator. The test shows how well you can move air in and out of your lungs. Spirometry testing is required for some workers by OSHA standards.
Developed by OSHA and NIOSH. Available online only.
(OSHA 3415 - 2011) (English: HTML PDF)

Spirometry: OSHA/NIOSH Spirometry Worker Info
(OSHA 3418 - 2011) (English: HTML PDF)

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If you need help developing a respiratory protection program, call EHSO at 770-645-0788!