The way to Select the best Sort of Respiratory Protection

Filtering or powered respirators, self-contained breathing apparatus, emergency escape breathing devices, self-rescuers plus more... All of these are classified as respiratory protective clothing! The question is: when should you use them, and above all, how can you pick the right equipment to offer maximum protection?

Here is a sound practice guide to assist you to pick the right kind of respiratory protection.

When should you use respiratory protection?
Before making the wearing of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) mandatory, it is essential to implement other prevention solutions for example finding substitutes for hazardous substances or installing air purification techniques (closing off processes, trapping pollutants, ventilating the premises, etc.). When not possible to put these measures available, or maybe if they may be insufficient, you will have to provide respiratory protective equipment.

Respiratory protective equipment is utilized:

If there is a risk that the person’s health will likely be altered on account of inhaling air that's polluted by gases, vapours, dust and aerosols or by oxygen-depleted air at work;
When intervening to tackle a fire or gas leak, along with closed spaces the place that the atmosphere can become dangerous as a result of inhalation;
In closed areas with the insufficient oxygen supply (contaminated areas).
There are numerous forms of respiratory protective clothing suited to each situation and specific field. They work by putting a physical barrier relating to the polluted atmosphere on the job and also the worker’s face (respiratory system, eyes, skin). They are classed as Personal Protective clothing, so it will be imperative that you make a good option to make sure you are thoroughly protected.

Perform an examination with the workstation
You have to define the physical conditions of use beforehand:

Oxygen level
Kind of pollutants (gas, vapours, dust, etc.)
Toxicity of the pollutants
Worst-case-scenario concentrations of each one sort of pollutant in the air
Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs), if appropriate
Proportions of the particles in the case of aerosols
Exercising from the user
Amount of the project to get performed
Related risks (projection of fluids, fire, etc.)
Respiratory equipment selection guide
There are 2 broad categories of respiratory protective equipment:

Self-contained breathing apparatus
The equipment supplies breathable air from a source. The person isn't determined by the ambient air
Works extremely well in closed and confined spaces
Only use such a protection if you have question regarding the expertise of the air, and in all atmospheres by having an oxygen level < 17%
Filtering respirators
The gear filters and purifies the contaminated air. The user breathes the ambient air.
The ambient air must contain between 17 and 21% oxygen
That may help you determine the kind of respiratory protective clothing ideal to your demands, we now have provided a decision-making chart in line with the following questions:

As to what situation will the respiratory protective clothing supply?
Is there a oxygen level throughout work? Note: a normal oxygen level is between 17 and 21%
Which kind of pollutant is involved and how toxic can it be?
Is there a OEL, or permissible concentration degree of the pollutant?

After choosing equipment family (filtering or powered respirator, self-contained breathing apparatus, emergency escape breathing devices or self-rescuers), you need to determine the minimum required Protection Factor (PF).

Minimum required PF = Power contaminant beyond your facepiece / Permissible energy contaminant within the facepiece, or OEL.

To be sure sufficient protection, the Nominal Protection Factor (NPF) and the Assigned Protection Factor (APF) should be higher than the minimum required Protection Factor (PF).

For example: when selecting a filtering respirator (gas mask), you have to pick the most appropriate equipment using the protection levels shown from the table and pick the best filter (type and sophistication)

After choosing equipment family (filtering or powered respirator, self-contained breathing apparatus, emergency escape breathing devices or self-rescuers), you have to determine the minimum required Protection Factor (PF).

Minimum required PF = Power of contaminant away from facepiece / Permissible power contaminant inside facepiece, or OEL.

To ensure sufficient protection, the Nominal Protection Factor (NPF) and also the Assigned Protection Factor (APF) has to be greater than the minimum required Protection Factor (PF).

As an example: when picking self-contained breathing apparatus, you should pick the most appropriate equipment depending on the protection levels shown inside the table and pick the correct filter (type and class).

Equipment suitable for the task situation
Once you've determined the right group of respiratory protective clothing, you need to be in a position to adapt the apparatus to the work situation. You must involve future users in the process because they are the people who are best capable of describe their activity.

The subsequent parameters should be taken into account:

Physical characteristics from the wearer (beard, face scars, etc.) that may determine the size and design of protection (helmet, hood, facepiece, etc.)
Whether or not the person wears glasses or contact lenses, because there are special devices for attaching glasses
Work patterns: air line breathing systems are better worthy of more intense work; powered respirators can be used when the flow will offset the negative pressure
The amount of time that the equipment will probably be worn: it is best to choose powered filtering respirators if you want to put them on in excess of 1 hour
Visibility requirements: based on the needs, we might recommend panoramic facepieces for improved visibility, single-use visors or hoods having a replaceable visor offering eye protection in case of projections
Communication requirements: you'll find models with phonic membranes and voice amplifiers enabling communication in harsh conditions for example confined spaces
Other personal protective equipment and accessories to be used: some types of equipment have integrated head, eye, ear and respiratory tract protection - they may be helpful for welding operations, as an example.
Decontamination requirements applicable to respiratory protective clothing
Thermal constraints
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Pub: 06 Nov 2023 15:05 UTC
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