Download Respiratory Training Videos from OSHA

The old adage that says “if you want something done right, do it yourself” doesn’t necessarily hold true. Sometimes the best course of action is to let the professionals do it and when you’re talking about safety related issues, who better than OSHA.

With that in mind, why not let OSHA do your respiratory training for you? They’ve just added several more respiratory training videos to bring their total up to 17 (9 in English and 8 in Spanish).

English:

Respiratory Protection in Construction

Respirator Types

Respirator Fit Testing

Maintenance and Care of Respirators

Medical Evaluations for Workers Who Use Respirators

Respiratory Protection Training Requirements

Voluntary Use of Respirators

Counterfeit and Altered Respirators: The Importance of NIOSH Certification

Spanish

spiratory Protection in General Industry

Proteccion Respiratoria en la Industria en General (Español)

Proteccion Respiratoria en la Construccion (Español)

Tipos de Respiradores (Español)

Pruebas de Ajuste de los Respiradores (Español)

Mantenimiento Y Cuidado de los Respiradores (Español)

Evaluaciones Medicas Para Trabajadores Que Usan Respiradores (Español)

Los Requisitos de Capacitacion Para la Proteccion Respiratoria (Español)

Uso Voluntario de Respiradores (Español)

“Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard”

OSHA has just published a free 124 page document entitled “Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard”

The document is “intended to help small businesses comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Respiratory Protection Standard… OSHA’s goal for this

document is to provide small entities with a comprehensive step-by-step guide complete with checklists and commonly asked questions that will aid both employees and employers in small businesses with a better understanding of OSHA’s respiratory protection standard.”

 

Its’ goal is a plain English guide to help small and medium businesses comply with the OSHA standard.

It also contains a comprehensive set of definitions to help clear up any confusion about terminology, clear and revised Assigned Protection Factors (APFs) as well as updated Maximum Use Concentrations (MUCs).

 

Especially helpful are the numerous checklists scattered throughout the document which can help users figure out which respirator is needed, checklists to make sure that all necessary steps have been taken, checklists to make sure that the required documentation is there and much, much more.

It is well illustrated to remove any doubt as to the nature of the type of respirator needed and contains all the necessary documents such as a copy of the medical evaluation form and more.

 

A definite “must have” document to download and keep on file.

I could try to explain it to you but I’d rather show you

Hansen, Snap-Tite, Schrader? Which fitting do you need on your airline respirator? Each one functions differently and they aren’t interchangeable. So which one do you need? Which one is best?

There are some things that are just better shown than explained with words.

That’s the basis of MSA TV’s explanation of Airline fittings.

(Click on the image to view the video)

Tips for Proper Breathing when Wearing a Respirator

A respirator has only one basic function, namely to protect you against the “bad stuff” in the air around you, whatever that “bad stuff” might be. It can, however, fail unless certain steps and precautions are taken. A respirator that isn’t working properly can actually provide a false sense of security that can lead to more damage than no respirator at all. Here are a few tips to make sure that you are getting the proper usage from your respirator.

1. Make sure that you are using the correct cartridge with the correct NIOSH designation.
2. Make sure that your cartridges are being changed out regularly, based on a change out schedule (A change out schedule is based on the levels of contaminants in the air and lets you know when the cartridge will start to lose its effectiveness because it’ll start getting clogged).
3. Make sure that the area you are working in is properly ventilated to eliminate as many of the contaminants as possible.
4. Understand when the respirator needs to be worn. Anytime you might be exposed, you need to wear it. Think, for example about the time, prior to actually spraying finishes and paints. During stirring and mixing, vapors and fumes may still be present.
5. Make sure you do a positive and negative pressure check fit each and every time you put on the respirator. Just because it passed last time doesn’t mean it’ll pass this time; you may have not quite seated it the same way.
6. Make sure that you inspect your respirator for damages, rips and tears each and every time you put it on. Even tiny rips and pin holes can allow contaminants to bypass the cartridge, entering your system.
7. Make sure that facial hair isn’t interfering with the seal. Any and all facial hair that falls along the seal line needs to be shaven.
8. Make sure that you know the limitations of your respirator. A respirator is only one part of the total protection package. Many substances can be absorbed through the skin as well. Make sure you cover up properly to keep skin absorption from happening.
9. Always keep your respirator in its bag when it’s not in use. This includes breaks and lunches.
10. Clean you respirator regularly to remove contaminants. It isn’t a whole lot of good to have a dirty respirator sitting in a bag. All you’re doing is trapping the contaminants in the bag with the respirator.

People often mistakenly think that it is their lungs that they are protecting by wearing a respirator. Many of the contaminants you are protecting will not show up as respiratory problems. The lungs are often only the gateway to the rest of your body, including your kidneys, your liver and many other internal organs (hence the need to “total protection as mentioned in point #8 above). Proper protection is your first line of defense; understanding how to maximize it’s efficacy is crucial.

Have you got a Clean Air Box (CAB)?

The Bullard Clean Air Box is essentially a hard case the you attach to a compressor in order to filter out all the impurities in order to make it breathable air for a supplied air system. They’re especially useful in areas where a regular respirator would tend to get clogged too quickly (Paint spraying booths, for example). They provide the user(s) with a constant stream of clean, breathable air for as long as they need it.

The one big problem with a CAB is usually the fact that proper maintenance isn’t done on the box. A properly maintained CAB should last for years; a poorly maintained one is going to give you problems.

With this in mind, Bullard has just produced 3 new videos that they have posted on YouTube.

1. CAB Calibration – Learn how to properly calibrate the Bullard clean air box to ensure user safety

2. CAB Replacing Sensor – Learn how to properly change the sensor in your Bullard Clean Air Box.

   
   

3. CAB Changing the Filter – Learn how to change the filters in the Bullard Clean Air Box. Filter changes are necessary to ensure clean air is filtered to the respirator.
   

 

If you haven’t got a CAB and are interested in learning more about how they can get used for your particular application, give us a call at (800) 213-7092

Spirometry is important according to OSHA and NIOSH

Spirometry, most of us have no idea what the word even is (my spell checker certainly didn’t). Turns out, however that it’s pretty important when it comes to measuring lung health.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) came out with documents designed to drive home the importance of spirometry, a test that measures lung capacity and how well we move air in and out of our lungs.

One document designed for employers “clarifies what spirometry is, when it is needed, and critical elements that employers can use to evaluate the quality of spirometry services provided to their workers.”

The other document designed for workers “explains to workers the importance of taking a spirometry test, what to do during the test, and their right to receive an explanation and copy of test results.”

One can’t help but wonder if this is eventually going to lead to mandatory spirometry in addition to the medical evaluation prior to fit testing.

Guardrail Guidelines

Today’s post is an article by Jack Cameron of Guardian Fall Protection on guardrail guidelines

Guardrail Guidelines

By Jack Cameron

One of the simplest ways to keep people safe on a worksite is the use of guardrails. However, depending where you are, your guardrail might not be compliant with OSHA or your state regulations. While OSHA is a federal agency and their standards apply throughout the United States, many individual states have their own version of OSHA that not only includes OSHA’s standards, but additional state specific regulations.

OSHA’s guardrail requirements are fairly simple.

• Top rail must be 42″ plus or minus three inches from the working surface.
  
• Top rail must be capable of withstanding at least 200 pounds in an outward or downward direction without bending lower than 39″.
  
• Mid rail must at least 21″ high.
  
• Mid rail must withstand 150 pounds.
  

There are other specifics that you can read at the link below, but those are the major points when it comes to guardrails and OSHA. Notice that there is no mention of vertical posts being required at any specific distance. I called OSHA to see if this were perhaps an oversight or simply something I was unable to find in their standards. I was told that as long as it fits the standards in the link below, specifically not deflecting lower than 39″ when 200 pounds is applied, then the vertical posts can be ten feet apart or even further.

However, if you’re in a state with a state run OSHA program like California, don’t order that ten foot guardrail just yet. OSHA requires that state agencies be at least as strict as OSHA, but they are allowed to be stricter or more specific. In the case of Cal/OSHA, the rules are as follows:

• Top rails must be able to withstand a 200 pound load in any direction.
  
• Top rail must be 42″–45″ high from floor to top of rail.
  
• Posts must not exceed 8 foot centers.
  
• Must have a mid-rail. The mid-rail must be at least 1″ x 6″.
  
• The top rail and posts must be at least 2″ x 4″ if  made of wood, at least 1.5″ thick if metal pipe, and if made of structural steel, must be at least 2″ x 2″ angle iron.
  

As you can see, these standards are much more specific. Not only do you need vertical posts at least every eight feet, but those posts must be a specific thickness depending on the material. In other words, a worksite that might be entirely OSHA compliant in Idaho, might result in violations in California. This is, of course just one example of differences between OSHA and a state run OSHA.

Related Links:

OSHA Guardrail Standards

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10758

Cal/OSHA Guardrail Standards, go to the link below and then search for Title 8, Section 3209

http://ccr.oal.ca.gov

List of State Run OSHA Agencies

http://www.afscme.org/publications/2846.cfm

Jack Cameron has been working at Guardian Fall Protection for over four years. He’s a certified Competent Person and a published author. He is the lead Technical and Content Writer at GFP. You can contact him at johnc@guardianfall.com

6 Easy Steps to Establishing a Respiratory Program – Step 6

6. The Training

The final step in establishing a respiratory program involves training. It is of little use to go through all the above steps unless the user has been properly trained in how to put the respirator on, when to change out the cartridges, how to clean and maintain the respirator in good working order, how to inspect the respirator for wear and tear and damages.

Having spent a number of years out in the field selling safety supplies and helping companies be compliant, I can witness firsthand the result of improper training. I can’t count the number of times I’ve walked into a facility and seen respirators sitting on a bench or even on the floor facing up while the wearer took his break or went to lunch. The respirator just sat there allowing all the bad stuff to accumulate in the cup while the worker was away. He or she gets back from break and puts that cup over his or her face and inhales all the stuff they are trying to protect against. I have seen respirators that couldn’t have ever been cleaned being worn by workers, respirators with clogged cartridges, respirators with bent exhalation or inhalation valve covers… My favorite, however was the respirator that the wearer had drilled a hole in with the hole just the right diameter for a cigarette to fit in so that he didn’t have to remove it when he needed a smoke (this is not a joke, this really happened).

It is essential that workers understand why they are wearing a respirator and how to use them properly. They need to know how to clean their respirator and how to store their respirator (make sure that each wearer has a respirator bag) when it is not being worn. They need to know how to inspect their respirator for cracks and tears as well as to check the exhalation and inhalation valves to make sure that they are still flexible and not bent back or torn. They further need to understand the cartridge change out schedule to make sure that they are getting the protection that they need.

This training needs to happen annually or more often if situations dictate (if, for example, the safety officer notices that the users aren’t following procedures as they should).

For more information on respiratory training, download a copy of my document entitled “The Basics of Respiratory Protection“.

For more information on establishing a respiratory program for your company, contact your local safety supplier or contact the manufacturer directly and they can help find a local distributor with whom they partner. 3M Technical Service, for example, can be contacted directly at 1-800-243-4630. They will be glad to assist you.

6 Easy Steps to Establishing a Respiratory Program – Step 5

5. The Fit Test

Before anyone can start wearing a respirator, and after they’ve passed the medical evaluation, they need to be fit tested. A respirator that is the wrong size and that isn’t being worn correctly will allow contaminated air to pass through the face seal without going through the filters which means that the user will be inhaling the very stuff that he’s trying to protect himself against.

A fit test must be done by authorized and properly trained fit testers. Your safety supply distributor should be able to assist you in getting your personnel fit tested. The manufacturer of your respirator is also a potential source of help. While they won’t want to come out and fit test one or two workers every time you hire a new person, they should be willing to help you out if the number of workers to fit test is large enough. Additionally, the manufacturer should be able to help, while they are there, with the training which is step 6 and which we will be looking at tomorrow.

The best, and easiest way to get your people fit tested is to have your safety officer trained to do fit testing. Contact your safety supply distributor for help, they should be able and willing to help fit test and/or train your staff to do fit testing.

A fit test is a simple procedure that takes no more than 15 minutes or so (excluding the respirator training) and involves making sure that the user is putting the respirator on correctly, not wearing it too loose or too tight and that, when he moves around in what would be the normal movements of daily work, he or she will maintain the proper seal between the respirator and the skin around the mask.

There are two main types of fit tests:

1. Quantative – This fit test uses a hood and an instrument to measure how much of the substance is getting into the respirator. While much more accurate, it requires a lot more equipment and because of this extra equipment ends up costing more.
2. Qualatitve – This fit test uses one of several possible substances to see if the user is getting a proper seal. The substances are saccharin, banana oil, bitrex and irritant smoke. Saccharin, bitrex and banana oil rely exclusively on the honesty of the user in making sure that he lets the fit tester know when he is tasting either the sweet flavor of saccharin, the flavor of bananas or the bitter flavor of bitrex. Irritant smoke, which is by far the most commonly used from of qualitative fit testing involves a smoke that irritates the lungs if inhaled causing immediate coughing. The fit tester uses a little squeeze bulb attached to a tube of this irritant smoke and blows it around the seal of the facepiece while the user goes through a series of exercises and motions to make sure that the seal is tight.

For a sample of the fit test form, including all the movements and actions that the user has to perform while being fit tested download your free copy of my document “The Basics of Respiratory Protection.”

Tomorrow we will conclude this series with step 6, the training.

6 Easy Steps to Establishing a Respiratory Program – Step 4

4. The Medical Evaluation

A more recent development in the area of respiratory protection is the advent of the medical evaluation. Any and all workers who are doing to wear respirators need to get a medical evaluation done. This medical evaluation needs to be done before the worker can be fit tested (which is step 5).

The reasoning behind this step is that there are certain people for whom wearing a respirator might be potentially problematic. People with asthma for example might have increased difficulty breathing as a result of wearing a respirator. I can’t tell you the number of times people have come in to get fit tested and had to go away without having it done because they’ve skipped this step. We cannot and will not fit test anyone who hasn’t first been cleared medically; the liability should anything happen to the person we are fit testing is just too great.

In most cases, the medical evaluation is simple. Workers answer a number of questions. The form is then submitted to a “licensed healthcare professional” who then determines, based on those answers, whether or not the worker needs to have a full blown medical checkup before he or she can wear a respirator. Unless there is something obvious, most workers are simply cleared to wear a respirator without having to have a pulmonary test. If the questionnaire uncovers any areas of concern, the licensed healthcare professional will then order a more complete exam.

The medical evaluation is confidential. Employers are not allowed to look at the answers given by the employee. The employee simply fills in the questionnaire and seals it in an envelope to his place of employment who will send it in or he is instructed about where to submit it directly to the medical facility.

3M has the medical evaluation available to view or download on their website here.

Most doctors or medical facilities can sign off on the medical evaluation. 3M even has an online medical evaluation where employees can sit down at a computer and complete the form. 3M has a licensed healthcare professional who will look over the evaluation and sign off right then and there, making it easy and quick (as well as making it less expensive). There is a link to the 3M online medical evaluation available on our website (www.nationalsafetyinc.com) in the respiratory section. If you’ve got several employees to get into respirators, this is a convenient way to get the medical evaluation done.

Tomorrow: Step 5 – The fit test