May is "Clean Air Month!" This makes it a great time for annual refresher training on respirator safety. In your workplace, does the area you directly work in contain (or potentially contain) hazardous materials? Respirator safety training is important for you or your employees in order to work safely in those areas.
3 Quick Tips on Respirator Safety
1. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the jobs performed by employees and the respiratory hazards of their jobs and work areas.
2. Identify the proper respiratory protection for each of said hazards, including:
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Type of respiratory protection
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Type of cartridge(s) required required for air purifying respirators
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Conditions for use of atmosphere supplying respirators should be used (if applicable)
3. Know & use the NIOSH approved color-coded labels for respirator filters, cartridges, and canisters:
| Acid Gas | White |
| Acid Gas and Organic Vapor | Yellow |
| Acid, Ammonia, and Organic Vapor | Brown |
| Acid Gas, Ammonia, Carbon Monoxide, and Organic Vapors | Red |
| Ammonia | Green |
| Carbon Monoxide Gas | Blue |
| Chlorine | White & Yellow |
| Dust, Fumes, and Mists (Nonradioactive) | Orange |
| Organic Vapors | Black |
| Other Vapors and Gases | Olive |
Respiratory Safety Hazards
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According to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),approximately 5 million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces throughout the nation. Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, sprays, and airborne TB bacteria.
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Respiratory hazards include cancer, lung impairment, other diseases, or death. The use of respirators may avert hundreds of deaths and thousands of illnesses annually.
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According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in a recent year only 59 percent of establishments that required employees to use respirators actually provided respirator training.
