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Aearo Company offers extensive technical support for product selection,
employee fit testing and training, and product maintenance.
You may also want to consult appropriate information available
from ANSI (The American National Standards Institute), OSHA (Occupational
Safety and Health Administration), and/or NIOSH (National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health) regarding respiratory protection
regulations, standards and guidelines.
Technical Support By Telephone or E-mail
Respirator Selection
Respirator Use
Respirator Warnings
Training Video
Respirator Wall Chart
Technical Support By Telephone or E-mail
For technical assistance and support by telephone please call 1-800-444-4774
or send e-mail to: technical.resources@mmm.com
Respirator Selection
OSHA Regulations, 29 CFR 1910.134 state, to control occupational
diseases caused by breathing contaminated air, engineering control
measures should be used whenever possible. However, if you are in
the process of eliminating or reducing the hazard or if the hazard
can not be eliminated or reduced, respirators may be used to provide
suitable protection and reduce employee exposure to hazardous materials.
There are different hazards and many different contaminants, so
selection of a respirator must be done carefully. When selecting
the proper respirator to be worn, it is important to know:
What contaminant(s) are present in the workplace?
The permissible exposure levels (pel) of each contaminant or mixture
of contaminants.
The concentration or potential concentration of each contaminant
in the air.
Is the atmosphere oxygen deficient...Does it contain enough oxygen
to support life (at least 19.5%)
Does the contaminant(s) have adequate warning properties
Is the workplace a confined space or an immediately dangerous
to life or health (IDLH) atmosphere
Are hazards present that require additional personal protective
equipment
Respirator Use
If respirators are used, OSHA requires that you establish and maintain
an Effective Respiratory Protection Program. Proper selection of
a respirator is only one of the requirements of that program. You
also need to:
Have a Written Standard Operating Procedure governing selection
and use of respirators.
Train supervisors and workers which include demonstrations and
practice on wearing, adjusting and determining the fit of the
respirator; cleaning, inspecting, maintaining and storing the
respirator. They should also be provided with fitting instructions.
Survey the workplace to make sure that conditions have not changed
that would affect the type of respiratory protection being used.
Regularly inspect and evaluate the effectiveness of the Respirator
Program.
Determine person's physical ability to perform the work and wear
a respirator.
Use Respirators which are NIOSH approved or those otherwise accepted
to provide adequate protection against the hazards encountered
in the workplace.
Respirator Warnings
Please note these warnings regarding respiratory products :
To protect your life and health, respiratory protection must
be carefully selected to provide for the known and anticipated
protection which may be needed. your Industrial Hygienist, Safety Engineer, Medical
Department, or Supervisor to be sure that you are using the proper
respirator for the protection needed.
These respirators must be used in accordance with a complete respirator
program, such as the one specified in OSHA Regulations 29 CFR
1910.134.
these respirators,
in any atmosphere which is or may become immediately dangerous
to life or health (IDLH).
these respirators in
poorly ventilated spaces or where high concentrations of air contaminants
and/or insufficient oxygen to support life may be present or may
develop.
these respirators in
any manner contrary to the recommendations contained on the package
label or in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or similar document
available from the manufacturer or supplier of the substance being
used.
half mask or quarter
mask respirators in atmospheres which contain air contaminants
that may penetrate, irritate or injure the skin or eyes, unless
suitable additional protective equipment is also used.
These respirators only provide protection under the facepiece.
These respirators must be properly fitted to the individual to
obtain effective respiratory protection. These respirators may
not provide a satisfactory face seal for individuals who have
certain physical characteristics (such as facial hair or deformities).
If you sense one of these potential danger signals (a) breathing
becomes difficult, (b) you become dizzy or fell nauseous, (c)
you smell or taste contaminants, or (d) have other noticeable
physical effect, leave hazardous area immediately, return to fresh
air, and seek any necessary assistance.
any of these respirators
for abrasive blasting or fire fighting.
Training Video
"Save Your Breath"™
"Save Your Breath" is a "high tech" video filled with useful respirator
information specifically targeted to users and can be a valuable
training tool for meetings and seminars. The "Save Your Breath"
video explains why it is important to wear respirators in contaminated
atmospheres. It also explains selection, donning and doffing, proper
wear, positive and negative fit testing, cleaning and maintenance
for AO 5 StarTM and Flexi-StarTM Respirators. This video is technically
comprehensive, exciting and interesting to employees and wearers.
Respirator Wall Chart
AOSafety® Respirator Wall Charts are instructional and motivational.
These colorful wall charts are designed to show users the correct
wear and care instructions for AO 5 STAR Respirators and OMNI STARTM
Respirators. The Cartridge Selection Chart offers guidance for selecting
the proper cartridge for different environments. These valuable
posters are available Free of Charge through your Aearo Company
Representative.
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