Respirators by Fred Whitford Purdue Pesticide Programsed Last month, a subscriber of the list-server "FloriNet" asked a question regarding respirators. Following is the answer given by Fred Whitford from Purdue Pesticide Programs: A question was asked about what an employer must do if the products that they use require the employee to use a respirator. It ‘s a good question that impacts almost the entire floriculture industry. If you require or if the label demands that a respirator be used, then the employer is required under OSHA regulations to do a couple of things: The person who will be wearing the respirator must complete a medical questionnaire. It can be found at www.osha-slc.gov/OshStd_data/1910_0134_APP_C.html The questionnaire will be evaluated by a physician to determine whether the person can wear a respirator. Those employees who the physician has questions about should be asked to see the physician in the office. Once the employee is "approved" by the physician, then the employer is required to have each employee properly fitted to wear the respirator. I always suggested that the employer buy their respirators locally so that the suppliers of those products can do the fit testing for you. And for many of these suppliers, they do not charge for this since you will be buying the respirator and cartridges from them. You are also required to have a respirator plan for your business. Check out our site at www.btny.purdue.edu/PPP and look in PPP38 for an example. An example is also included in the appendix of the OSHA regulation. If dust masks are used voluntarily, then medical evaluations are not required. However, if a person wants to voluntarily use a cartridge respirator, then you have to go through the whole process as if you were making them use one as part of the label. The entire regulation can be found in www.osha-slc.gov/OshStd_toc/OSHA_Std_toc1910.html I know what you are thinking about this whole process that has been put in place. However, I have two reasons why I support this specific regulation. The first is that putting on a respirator may in some circumstances be more dangerous than what chemicals you are trying to protect the person against. People who may be overweight, smoke, or have chronic diseases may be really stressed when putting on a respirator, especially when on top of that you are putting on the rain gear. Those of you who have worn these pieces of protective personal equipment (PPE) understand how they do constrict breathing. The other reason is that a respirator is a very complicated piece of PPE. When I have done my programs on using a respirator it seems that everyone believes they can put one so that there is a good seal. I have had only two persons in all of the years who could put one on and that it worked. Giving someone a respirator without a good fit test is a waste of your money and it gives the employee a false sense of security. The author of this article can be contacted at the following e-mail: whitford@btny.purdue.edu