RESPIRATORY PROTECTION PROGRAM
Procedure 1003.5
Administrative Services

Approval Date: 9/30/91 Amended: 3/1/97

1. PURPOSE

To ensure that all employees are adequately protected against potentially harmful airborne contaminants.

• GENERAL

Controls must be implemented when it is clearly impracticable to remove harmful dusts, fumes, mists, vapors, or gases at their source, or where emergency protection against occupational and/or relatively brief exposure is needed, the District will provide, and the employee exposed to such hazard shall use, approved respiratory equipment.

Controls must be implemented wherever concentrations of dusts, fumes, mists, vapors, or gases in the employees breathing zone exceed Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) as established by OSHA and/or other laws and regulations. Engineering controls, work practices, and administrative controls ensuring safe and healthful work conditions are preferred over respiratory protection.

1. Respirators are acceptable and must be worn:

1) When engineering controls, work practices, or administrative controls are not feasible for assuring safe and healthful conditions.

2) While engineering controls are being instituted.

3) When the oxygen concentration in the air is insufficient to support life (less than 19.5%) or when entering a confined space with unknown concentrations of contaminants.

• TRAINING AND EDUCATION

1. Employees will be instructed and trained in the need, use, sanitary care, and limitations of respiratory equipment as any employee may have the occasion to use.
2. Employees will be instructed that respirators shall be inspected before each use and shall not be worn when conditions prevent a good gas-tight seal.
3. Every respirator wearer will be instructed in how to properly fit and test respiratory equipment and how to check the facepiece fit and will be provided the opportunity to wear respiratory equipment in normal air for an adequate familiarity period, and to wear it in a test atmosphere.

1) Employees who wear respirators must be physically fit as determined by qualified medical personnel, and must be properly fit-tested and trained before using a respirator. To ensure proper fit, all employees who wear respirators must be clean-shaven at the respirator facepiece sealing surface, and any facial hair within the facepiece must be kept trimmed so that it will not interfere with the exhalation valve.

NOTE: The only respirators that do not require a clean-shaven sealing surface are the mouth-bite and hood models.

• APPROVED EQUIPMENT

  Only respiratory equipment approved for a specific purpose will be used and such equipment will be approved by the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

1. All safety related equipment must be approved by the Director of Safety and Health.
2. Employees are not allowed to use or bring on District premises any respiratory equipment, or other safety related equipment, not purchased by the District or any equipment that has not received prior approval from the Director of Safety and Health.

• MAINTENANCE AND SANITATION

1. The District will provide, repair, or replace respiratory protection equipment as may be required due to wear and deterioration.
2. Respirators maintained for emergency use will be inspected and sanitized after each use and inspected at least monthly by the user division. A record of the most recent inspection will be maintained on the respirator or its storage container, and will include the inspector's identification, the date and a respirator identification number.
3. In each division where respirators are used, a means for cleaning all respiratory protection equipment will be provided.

1) Routinely used respiratory equipment will be regularly cleaned, inspected, and sanitized by the user. Respiratory equipment shall not be passed on from one person to another.

• When not in use, respirators will be stored to protect against dust, sunlight, extreme temperatures, excessive moisture, or damaging chemicals.
• SELECTION AND ISSUANCE OF RESPIRATORS

1. Proper selection of respirators will be made according to the American National Standards Practices for Respiratory Protection: Z88.2-1969, and the manufacturers recommendations.
2. The correct respirator will be specified for each job per manufacturers recommendations and the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each product.
3. The Division Supervisor will issue the correct respirators to employees and insure that each employee wears the correct type.

• PROGRAM SURVEILLANCE AND EVALUATION

1. Appropriate surveillance of environmental conditions in the work area will be performed by the employee's immediate supervisor.
2. The supervisor shall contact the Director of Safety and Health should any questions arise as to type of respirator to be use or questions concerning environmental conditions.

• ATMOSPHERES IMMEDIATELY HAZARDOUS TO LIFE OR HEALTH

1. In such conditions, at least two persons equipped with approved respiratory equipment shall be on the job.
2. Communications will be maintained between both or all individuals present.
3. Standby persons, at least one of which will be in a location which will not be affected by any likely incidents, will be present with suitable rescue equipment including self-contained breathing apparatus. (See Procedure 1003.7, Confined Space Entry Program)

• MEDICAL LIMITATIONS

Employees will not be assigned to tasks requiring use of respirators unless it has been determined that they are physically able to perform the work while using the required respiratory equipment.

1. A licensed physician will determine what health and physical conditions are pertinent.
2. The medical status of employees assigned use of respiratory equipment will be reviewed annually.

1) After an initial physical examination when hired, employees who use respiratory equipment are required to complete the "Annual Medical Questionnaire - Pulmonary Function" Form, Enclosure 1. Should any changes in physical conditions be noted, the employee will be required to undergo a follow-up physical examination.

• RESPONSIBILITY

1. Director of Safety and Health

1) Monitors all aspects of this Respiratory Protection Program to ensure compliance.

2) Approves the selection of respirators based on the nature of the specific hazard and conditions of use.

3) Provides for initial and annual quantitative fit-testing.

4) When necessary, conducts employee exposure monitoring to ensure the adequacy of selected respirators.

5) Provides for medical surveillance of occupationally exposed workers in accordance with District Policy.

6) In coordination with the approved, local occupational health treatment facility, ensures that employees are capable of using a respirator before assignment to tasks which require respiratory protection. See Appendix 1, "TASKS WHICH REQUIRE RESPIRATORY PROTECTION".

• Human Resources

1) Maintains appropriate employee training and medical records in the employee's personnel file.

2) Provides for initial physical examinations of respirator wearers.

• Managers and Supervisors

1) Makes arrangement with the Office of Safety and Health for respiratory protection training as required herein.

2) Ensures that only those employees who have been certified by the District contracted licensed physician to be medically capable of using a respirator prior to assignment to those tasks which require respiratory protection as described in Appendix 1.

3) Ensures that employees have been fit-tested and certified in the use of respirators before assignment to a task requiring respirators. Requests training in accordance with District Policy and arranges for re-training as required.

4) Ensures that respiratory protection is used when required.

5) Ensures that respirators are worn correctly and maintained in good repair.

6) Provides for the issuance and maintenance of appropriate respirators and maintains records of reusable respirators issued.

• Employee

1) Uses only the respirator assigned to him/her in accordance with the training received, and does not give or lend his/her respirator to any other person.

2) Where required by 3, C, 1), of this program, shaves the areas of the face (where the facepiece seals) within three (3) days before wearing the respirator, and trims any facial hair which may interfere with the operation of the respirator, including hair inside the respirator which may interfere with the exhalation valve.

3) Inspects the respirator for proper operation, missing parts, and damage before each use. Reports any damage to respirator to supervisor immediately.

4) Conducts routine fit test each time the respirator is put on to ensure proper placement on the face, using positive or negative pressure tests in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

5) Disposes of single-use disposal respirators after each use, and multiple-use disposable respirators after three (3) days of use.

6) Cleans and inspects the respirator in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, returning it to your Supervisor if any part is worn, damaged, defective or missing.

7) Stores the respirator in the container in which it was received so that the facepiece is not distorted. Stores the respirator in a clean, dry location, away from extreme heat and cold.

8) Obtains a new cartridge whenever breathing through the cartridge becomes difficult, when cartridge color changes, or as soon as odor is detected.

9) Immediately reports to his/her supervisor any changes in physical condition that may affect the wearing of respiratory protection equipment.

EL CAMINO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

APPENDIX 1