Immediate Action Required During a recent internal review, 3M discovered a potential issue involving certain versions and lots of the size-medium 3M™ Half Facepiece Disposable Respirators 5000 Series. In a limited number of instances, we have observed a pinhole in the chin area of the faceseal. This affects only certain 5200 (MEDIUM) respirators that were…...
In 2019, OSHA published a respiratory protection guide for Roofing Contractors, but since I do not work in the construction field I did not pay much attention to it. But today I found some never published guidance from OSHA regarding how an employer can establish a “change-out schedule”. I may have missed this in all…...
I really don’t understand the mindset of these companies… they have a horrible accident, and rather than recognize something failed and needs to be fixed, they hire lawyers to fight all the OSHA citations rather than competent/qualified safety professionals to fix it all. These citations were like “taking candy from a baby” because the company…...
Several cases of counterfeiting have already been reported. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed out some suspect characteristics of counterfeit respirators. Table 1 below summarizes the main suspect characteristics of counterfeit compared to appropriate FFR. Among the suspect features, there are ear loops designs, the absence of markings or references to…...
OSHA has expanded temporary guidance provided in a March 14, 2020, memorandum regarding supply shortages of N95s or other filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This expanded guidance applies to all workplaces covered by OSHA where there is required respirator use. OSHA field offices will exercise enforcement discretion concerning annual fit-testing requirements,…...
This memorandum expands temporary enforcement guidance provided in OSHA’s March 14, 2020, memorandum to Compliance Safety and Health Officers for enforcing annual fit-testing requirements of the Respiratory Protection standard, 29 CFR § 1910.134(f)(2), with regard to supply shortages of N95s or other filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.[1] The March…...
MEMORANDUM FOR: REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS, STATE PLAN DESIGNEES THROUGH: AMANDA EDENS, Deputy Assistant Secretary FROM: PATRICK J. KAPUST, Acting Director Directorate of Enforcement Programs SUBJECT: Enforcement Guidance for Use of Respiratory Protection Equipment Certified under Standards of Other Countries or Jurisdictions During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic This memorandum provides interim guidance to Compliance…...
So what is the Assigned-Protection Factor (APF) for an air-line respirator, commonly used inside PRCSs which has, or has the potential to have an IDLH atmosphere? Is it 1,000 or 10,000? I have always been taught/trained that the simple air-line respirator (Pressure-demand/Positive pressure mode) WITHOUT the Auxilary/Back-up cylinder the APF is 1,000, but the addition…...
OSHA has dined a Delaware Rail Car Tank Cleaning And Repair Facility $371,276 for Safety and Health Hazards. This same company, different location, was cited last year after a PRCS fatality inside a Rail Car (PRCS fatality cleaning a railcar (Oxygen Deficient and $551K): Membership Content). This inspection was initiated due to a complaint, but surely…...
Background: The employer has truck drivers that drive in and out of oil/gas refineries. Drivers are provided with a North 7900 series air-purifying disposable mouthpiece type respirator for use as an escape-only respirator. The owner’s manual to the North 7900 Series disposable mouthpiece type escape respirator warns employers to be aware of any physical limitations or…...
A client got dinged on an audit because they were not having their employees medically evaluated before being provided a respirator. They contacted their local medical facility to seek help with this and of course, the facility said they could do the medical evaluation. This morning I received their first batch for me to sign-off…...
For those of you who are SAFTENG members and manage a Respiratory Protection program, this is NOT news to you, as we have discussed this many times before, and if you have been to my 1.5 Day Respiratory Protection Administrator course, you got this beat into your head! But for those less fortunate, here is…...
