Respiratory Protection

OSHA is proposing to remove some medical evaluation requirements in the Respiratory Protection Rule for certain types of respirators

/ Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

This proposed change would only impact filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs). OSHA is proposing an update to the Respiratory Protection Standard to amend the medical evaluation requirements specified in paragraph (e) where an employee is required to wear either a filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) or loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)…...

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Nitrogen backflows into the “breathing air” system (Fatality)

/ Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

At 11:43 a.m. on February 24, 2025, Employee #1, 61, was spray painting aircraft parts while wearing a supplied air respirator. Nitrogen backflowed into the breathing air system, displacing oxygen and asphyxiating the employee. Employee #1 was fatally injured…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log...

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PRCS (Railcar) Fatality (5% O2 Atmosphere)

/ Free, OSHA Compliance, Permit Required Confined Spaces, Respiratory Protection /

UPDATED on 8/8/25 with OSHA Citations (All are being contested) At approximately 9:34 a.m. on January 10, 2025, an employee, 35, was directed to enter a 23,737-gallon rail tank car containing residues of PCBs and transformer oil to obtain wipe samples of the interior surfaces. The rail tank car was a permit-required confined space. The…...

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Flaws in using a manufacturer’s SWPF study

/ Emergency Response, Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

Disclaimer: I am NO LONGER a fan of Powered-Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs). It is not the PAPR’s fault; it is the science behind the increased desire to use PAPRs for all the wrong reasons and how this could be bad news for the users. PAPRs have become increasingly popular over the past decade or so…...

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The APR “change-out” schedule

/ Emergency Response, Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

This aspect of respiratory protection is a SAFETY CRITICAL path when using Air Purifying Respirators (APRs), and in my experience, it is rarely done correctly when it is done at all. I teach my program administrators to do precisely what NIOSH has been stating since 2004. When using the Change Out software, use 1 ppm…...

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How can I tell if a facility is doing their SCBA inspections “by the book” each month?

/ Emergency Response, Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

A trick question I learned long ago, when it was used on me, is one I use today when auditing a facility that has SCBAs for “Emergency Use Only” (e.g., an ERT). As we are walking to the ERT cage/trucks, I casually ask if the facility fills its bottles/cylinders or if they have a breathing…...

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What does AI say about too high of QNFT results?

/ Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

I have written several articles on Fit test Records with QNFT results, exceeding 10,000. I have seen number as high as 500,000. And to be honest I’m not sure why the makers of the QNFT machines even have the ability to record numbers over 10,000, as most of these manufacturers will state anything over 10,000…...

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Which comes first: Fit testing or Training?

/ Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

Not meant to be a trick question, but we see this failure often, especially when the facility utilizes “test vans” for their One-Stop safety testing that includes Audiograms for HCP requiremenrts and Fit Testing for the RP program. This applies ONLY to those doing Quantitative Fit Testing (QNFT). If we are doing QNFT, such as…...

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Safety Alert: Proximity Detection Systems (PDS) and PAPRs

/ Free, Hazardous Materials, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

Since 2024, 33 mines have been granted the use of a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) through the Petition for Modification process. Electromagnetic interference can cause failure of a miner-worn Proximity Detection System (PDS) if it is not worn as recommended, such as being worn TOO CLOSE to the battery or motor/blower of a PAPR…....

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Fire Captain falsified Fit-Test Records and is facing charges

/ Emergency Response, Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection /

A 45-year-old senior fire captain is facing charges after authorities say he improperly conducted respirator fit tests for firefighters and lied about it. He is charged with forgery and tampering with records, the County Prosecutor’s Office said Friday. He signed reports stating the tests had been completed when they had not been finished between Jan…....

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A contractor boilermaker loses consciousness (N2 with air-line helmet respirator)

/ Free, OSHA Compliance, Respiratory Protection / / ,

A contractor boilermakerlost consciousness following the inhalation of nitrogen supplied through an air-line helmet respirator. Recommendations Source: https://www.rshq.qld.gov.au/safety-notices/mines/coal-mine-worker-loses-consciousness-following-the-inhalation-of-nitrogen-supplied-through-an-air-line-helmet-respirator… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

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Changing our fit-test methods requires an MOC

/ Emergency Response, Free, Respiratory Protection / / , ,

For decades, businesses have used the TSI Porta-Count QNFT method to fit test tight-fitting respirators. Today, new variations of this NIOSH-approved method (e.g., Condensation Nuclei Counter(CNC) are faster, and we have seen many organizations adopt these new methods. However, changing our Fit-Testing method may require an MOC. I say “may” as not all PSM processes…...

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