Respirators
Respirator Consulting and Fit testing
Respirators are the last line of defense against exposure for your employees. For that reason, if you decide to use respiratory protection to lower worker exposures to hazardous airborne contaminants, you must follow all requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Respiratory Protection Standard 29 CFR 1910.134. Some of the things you are required to do when using respirators include: Exposure assessment, develop a written respiratory program, select respirators based on the hazards, respirator medical evaluations, annual fit testing, annual training, plus an annual program review.
Safety Links provides a complete range of respirator services including, consultation, respirator program development and administration, respirator program evaluation/audit, respirator need identification and respirator selection, respirator fit testing, respirator medicals and yes, we even do training.

Respirator Medical Questionnaires
To ensure that wearing respiratory protection doesn’t cause undue health concerns, OSHA requires you to “provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace.” Complete your respirator online medical today!
Qualitative Respirator Fit Testing
Qualitative fit tests (QLFT) rely on your response to test agents such as saccharin, bitrex, irritant smoke or banana oil. A QLFT, according to 29 CFR 1910.134(f)(6), must only be used to fit test negative pressure air-purifying respirators which are half mask respirators or below. When possible, Safety Links recommends using a QNFT for all fit tests including fit tests for half mask respirators!
Quantitative Respirator Fit Testing
The gold standard in fit testing. A quantitative fit test (QNFT) means "an assessment of the adequacy of respirator fit by numerically measuring the amount of leakage into the respirator." A QNFT is necessary for respirators that must achieve a fit factor of greater than 100. This includes a full face respirator, or an atmosphere-supplying respirator.
CONTACT SAFETY LINKS
Below you will find our various contact information, we look forward to hearing from you.
Office Hours
Mon - Fr 7:00am - 4:00pm
Phone
Toll Free: 1-800-768-7036
Office: 407-545-4699
Email
info@transportins.net
We Really Mean Full Serivce...
1. Exposure Assessment
Respirators are the last line of defense against exposure for your employees. For that reason, if you decide to use respiratory protection to lower worker exposures to hazardous airborne contaminants you must follow all requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Respiratory Protection Standard 29 CFR 1910.134.
Some of the things you are required to do when using respirators include: Exposure assessment, develop a written respiratory program, select respirators based on the hazards, respirator medical evaluations, annual fit testing, annual training, plus an annual program review.
2. Written Respiratory Program
A written program is required for mandatory use of respiratory protection and recommended for voluntary use. OSHA 1910.134(c) states: “In any workplace where respirators are necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer, the employer shall establish and implement a written respiratory protection.
3. Respirator Selection
OSHA requires the employer to evaluate respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace (contaminant and concentration), identify relevant workplace and user factors, and base respirator selection on these factors. The respiratory hazard evaluation includes “a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazard(s)”. The respirator type or class is then selected by comparing the employee’s exposure to the occupational exposure limit and determining the minimum necessary respirator assigned protection factor. Where the employer cannot identify or reasonably estimate the employee exposure, OSHA requires the employer to consider the atmosphere as IDLH.
4. Respirator Medical Evaluations
Medical evaluation of the employee is required for mandatory use of all respirators or voluntary use of elastomeric face pieces, and recommended for voluntary use of filtering face pieces. OSHA 1910.134(e) states: “The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace.”
5. Fit Testing
Fit testing is required for mandatory use of all tight-fitting face pieces and recommended for voluntary use. OSHA 1910.134(f) states: “The employer shall ensure that an employee using a tight-fitting face piece respirator is fit tested prior to initial use of the respirator, whenever a different respirator face piece (size, style, model or make) is used, and at least annually thereafter.” Employees issued powered air purifying respirators and supplied air respirators with loose-fitting face pieces, hoods or helmets are not subject to fit testing.
6. Training
Training is required for mandatory use and recommended for voluntary use of respirators. OSHA 1910.134(k) states: “This paragraph requires the employer to provide effective training to employees who are required to use respirators. The training must be comprehensive, understandable, and recur annually and more often if necessary.”
7. Annual Program review
To ensure the elements of the OSHA respirator standard are being properly implemented you should conduct and document an annual review or audit of your entire respiratory protection program.
CONTACT SAFETY LINKS
Below you will find our various contact information, we look forward to hearing from you.
Office Hours
Mon - Fr 7:00am - 4:00pm
Phone
Toll Free: 1-800-768-7036
Office: 407-545-4699
Email
info@transportins.net
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