Your respirator may be the most important tool of your job. It protects your most precious asset, your health. Yet more often than not, respirators find their way to the bottom of tool bags where they become damaged and/or very dirty inside and out. Both of these conditions compromise the...
OSHA requires employers to identify and protect against breathing hazards. Engineering controls are the preferred form of protection, e.g., ventilation, using less toxic measures, and enclosing operations that create air contaminants. When air measurements reveal that engineering controls haven’t brought air hazards to safe levels, employers must provide employees with...
Inhalation of cement dust may occur when workers empty bags of dry cement material to make concrete, cut concrete work tiles, or use jackhammers to break up a sidewalk or road during repairs. This exposure can cause nose and throat irritation. Long-term exposure to concrete dust containing crystalline silica can...
Respirator Change Schedules Respirators are among the most important pieces of safety equipment available. With chemical cartridges, they can be used to filter out and protect workers from many different hazards It’s no longer acceptable to rely on odor thresholds and other warning properties as the primary way of determining...
Respirator Change Schedules Respirators are among the most important pieces of safety equipment available. With chemical cartridges, they can be used to filter out and protect workers from many different hazards. OSHA states, “If there is no ESLI [end-of-service- life indicator] appropriate for conditions in the employer’s workplace, the employer...
Silica Dust Hazards Silica exposure remains a serious threat to nearly 2 million U.S. workers, including more than 100,000 workers in high risk jobs such as abrasive blasting, foundry work, stonecutting, rock drilling, quarry work and tunneling. The seriousness of the health hazards associated with silica exposure is demonstrated by...
Care for Your Respirator OSHA requires employers to identify and protect against breathing hazards. Engineering controls are the preferred form of protection; e.g., ventilation, using less toxic measures, and enclosing operations that create air contaminants. When air measurements reveal that engineering controls haven’t brought air hazards to safe levels, employers...
Care for Your Respirator Your respirator may be the most important tool of your job. It protects your most precious asset, your health. Yet, more often than not, respirators find their way to the bottom of tool bags where they become damaged and/or very dirty inside and out. Both of...
Respirator Protection Respiratory hazards in the workplace should be controlled whenever possible using engineering, work practice, or administrative controls. However, if these controls are not feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, employees may need to utilize respiratory protection. Respirator Basics: Respirators must always be inspected prior to donning. o...
Respirator Protection Air that’s contaminated or lacks oxygen can be very harmful to your health. Inhaling chemical vapors, gases, fumes, or dust can irritate and even seriously damage the lungs, respiratory systems, or other organs, sometimes fatally. Lack of oxygen can cause death in minutes. Wear the respirator designed to...