Physical Injury: (bitten, scratched, kicked, etc.)
Respiratory Protection Program
Quantitative and/or Qualitative fit testing shall be performed for each employee for each respirator that the employee may wear.
Fit testing shall be performed by EHS or an authorized trainer and follow the procedures outlined later in this section. Testing shall occur before a respirator is assigned. Self tests shall be performed by the employee in accordance with this section each time before a respirator is worn. Anything that may compromise the seal of the facepiece may render the respirator useless. For this reason, persons with facial characteristics that prevent a good seal must either be provided a positive pressure respirator with hood or helmet or be prohibited from work requiring a respirator.
In cases where workers voluntarily maintain characteristics that interfere with the face seal, the department shall determine whether to provide suitable protection or to keep the employee out of the work site. Employees that wear eyeglasses or contact lenses shall be provided with eyeglass inserts designed to fit within a full face mask when required. The department shall be responsible for providing both respirators and eyeglass inserts. Under no circumstances shall any respirator be used while contact lenses are worn. Contaminants may get between the contact lens and the eye where it may cause damage and be difficult to remove.
The primary reason for a respiratory protection program is to maintain employee health. Therefore, it is imperative that the proper respiratory equipment be used for the task. Selection of a respirator shall be based on the specific hazard to which an individual is exposed.
Respiratory protective equipment shall be chosen and assigned for a specific project upon the assurance that:
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety will review hazard evaluations for determining the proper respirator for the project. All respirators and their components must be approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Respirators shall be selected from those available for fit testing. The department shall be responsible for respiratory equipment purchase.
The use of any type of respirator may impose some physiological stress on the user. Consequently, state and federal regulations require that, prior to using a respirator, all potential users are required to enter a medical monitoring program.
The medical monitoring program includes a pre-placement exam to establish the employee's baseline health status and to determine whether or not the employee is capable of wearing a respirator. Only those individuals who are medically able to wear respiratory protective equipment will be issued a respirator. Medical tests to be considered by a physician include: pulmonary function tests, chest x-rays, and any other tests deemed appropriate by the examining physician. Medical factors to be considered by a physician include: emphysema, asthma, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, anemia, hemophilia, poor eyesight, poor hearing, hernia, lack of use of fingers or hands, epileptic seizures, and other factors which might inhibit the ability of any employee to wear respiratory equipment.
A second part of the medical surveillance program shall be the annual examination which shall include the same medical tests as the pre-placement exam. Annual examinations shall be used to compare with the pre-placement evaluation to determine if there are any changes in an employee's health status. An employee's ability to continue using a respirator and working in the environment requiring the use of a respirator, shall in part, be determined by the results of the annual examination.
At the end of employment, a employee shall be given a terminating physical. All examination records shall be maintained for thirty years as required by the regulations.
