From WorkSafeBC
A contact on Twitter posted a link to these new OSHA Respiratory Protection Videos in English and Spanish. Topics include respirator use, training, fit-testing, detecting counterfeit respirators, and OSHA’s Respiratory Standard – and all are also on the US Department of Labour’s YouTube channel.
WorkSafeBC recently published a new series of Respiratory Protection info sheets you can use for worker orientation, crew talks and for posting on bulletin boards at the job site. They cover how to select, use, and maintain respiratory protection.
Breathe Safer: How to use a respirator safely is a booklet – also from WorkSafeBC – available for download online. It covers British Columbia’s regulations on breathing hazards and control options.
“Air contaminants and oxygen deficiency can affect your health in many ways. Some breathing hazards are life-threatening. Other hazards cause minor health problems,” reads Breathe Safer. “A hazard may have health effects after a short period of exposure or a long period, or both. Workers may not be aware of any health effects while they are exposed to certain contaminants, but the contaminants can still have serious long-term effects.”
Another resource is OSH Answers – Respiratory Care from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Safety and Health.
Any suggestions?
Do you have any links to respirator training info online? Do share!
2 things that often get missed.
By workers – Positive and negative pressure checks every time they put the mask on. I have seen a worker wearing all the proper protective gear become incapacitated because he forgot to do is P&N check “that one time”
From experience is that when you do your P&N check you will be readjusting it at least 1 in 10 times. Witch means if you are not doing the checks your mask is failing at least 1 in 1 times
By Employers – Fit testing on ‘dust masks’ even N95’s require fit testing and training, and if you switch brands got to redo the fit test. Because this is not done workers often don’t wear there dust mask correctly because of this and so negating the wearing of the respirator.
Thanks!