RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

Frequently Asked Questions

Adapted from NIOSH Guide to the Selection and Use of Particulate Respirators Certified Under 42 CFR 84 [DHHS 

(NIOSH) Publication No. 96-101] and Protect Yourself Against Tuberculosis - A Respiratory Protection Guide for 

Health Care Workers [DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-102].

OSHA Office of Training and Education 

Rev. November 2004
This document is intended to be a resource for instructors of 

occupational safety and health and is not a substitute for any 

of the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 

of 1970 or for any standards issued by the U.S. Department 

of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 

It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the 

U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, 

commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement 

by the U.S. Department of Labor. 
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RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a respirator?

A: A respirator is a protective facepiece, hood or helmet that is designed to protect the wearer 

against a variety of harmful airborne agents. 

Q: When is the use of respirators required?

A: OSHA’s respirator standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, requires the use of respirators to protect 

employees from breathing contaminated and/or oxygen-deficient air when effective 

engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted. Several other 

OSHA regulations also require the use of respirators. 

Q: Can any respirator be used?

A: No, respirators shall be selected on the basis of hazards to which the worker is exposed 

(i.e., particulates, vapors, oxygen-deficiency, or combination). Also, OSHA requires the 

use of certified respirators. 

Q: Who certifies respirators?

A: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). 
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Q: How can a certified respirator be recognized?

A: On July 10, 1995, 30 CFR Part 11 certification procedures were replaced by 42 CFR Part 

84 procedures. Under the 30 CFR Part 11 approval system, manufacturers were required to 

mark cartridges and filters with an abbreviated label that included a NIOSH/MSHA 

approval number (“TC number”). Under the 40 CFR Part 84 approval system, cartridges 

and filters are no longer marked with a “TC number”. Instead, they are marked with 

“NIOSH”, the manufacturer’s name and part number, and an abbreviation to indicate the 

cartridge (e.g., OV, CL) or filter (e.g., N95, P100) type. 

All cartridges and filters are to be supplied with a matrix approval label, usually as an insert 

in the box. This label shows the NIOSH approved configurations and includes the “TC 

number”, component parts, and cautions and use limitations. 

Nonpowered particulate respirators that were approved under 30 CFR Part 11 and use the 

“old” labeling were allowed to be manufactured and sold until July 10, 1998. Distributors 

were able to sell them and end-users were able to use them until their inventories were 

depleted. 

NIOSH established the 42 CFR Part 84 test criteria to simulate worst-case respirator use. 

NIOSH encourages users to discontinue the use of particulate respirators certified under 30 

CFR Part 11 and switch to particulate respirators certified under 42 CFR Part 84. 

Samples of approval labels are shown on the following two pages. 

. 

Q: Which class of Part 84 respirator should be used where a particular OSHA 

standard requires the use of a respirator with HEPA filtration?

A: Where workers are exposed to a hazard that would require the use of a respirator with 

HEPA filtration, the appropriate class of respirator under the 42 CFR Part 84 certification is 

the Type 100 (N100, R100, or P100). 
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PART 11 LABEL FOR HEPA FILTER
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Q: Why is a formal respirator program needed?

A: A respirator program increases the chances of using a respirator correctly. A respirator will 

only protect if it is used correctly. Also, OSHA requires a number of written elements for 

all respiratory protection programs. 

Q: Who is in charge of the respirator program?

A: The program must be administered by a trained program administrator who is qualified and 

knowledgeable in respiratory protection to run all aspects of the program. 

Q: What do employees need to know about the respirator program?

A: Employers must establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with 

worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use. The provisions of 

the program include procedures for selection, medical evaluation, fit testing, training, use 

and care of respirators. 
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Q: How is the proper respirator size determined?

A: Proper respirator size is determined through a fit test. Employees using negative or positive 

pressure tight-fitting facepiece respirators must pass an appropriate fit test using the 

procedures detailed in OSHA’s respirator standard. 

Qualitative Fit Test Chamber

Q: Can an employee check the fit of their respirator?

A: Yes, employees using tight-fitting facepiece respirators are required to perform a user seal 

check each time they put on the respirator using the procedures in Appendix B-1 of 29 CFR 

1910.134 or procedures recommended by the respirator manufacturer that the employer 

demonstrates are as effective as OSHA’s procedures. Note that a fit test is a method used to 

select the right size respirator for the user. A user seal check is a method to check to see if 

the user has correctly put on the respirator and adjusted it to fit properly, as illustrated 

below. 

User Seal Check: worker covering inlet and inhaling 

(negative pressure check) 
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Q: When is respirator fit testing required? 

A: Fit testing of all negative or positive pressure tight-fitting facepiece respirators is required 

prior to initial use, whenever a different respirator facepiece is used, and at least annually 

thereafter. An additional fit test is required whenever there are changes in the user’s 

physical condition that could affect respirator fit (e.g., facial scarring, dental changes, 

cosmetic surgery, or an obvious change in body weight). The employer must be fit tested 

with the same make, model, style, and size of respirator that will be used. 

Q: What can be done if an employee has a very small face and has trouble 

being fit tested for a respirator? 

A: Manufacturers make several different sizes. Respirators may also vary in size from 

manufacturer to manufacturer. Users may be able to get a better fit by trying a respirator 

made by another manufacturer. In some cases, the use of powered air-purifying respirators 

may be appropriate. Employers must help employees find a suitable respirator. 

Q: Must employees see a doctor before they use a respirator?

A: The employer must provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee’s ability to use 

a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the 

workplace. Not all workers must be examined by a doctor. A physician or other licensed 

health care professional must perform the medical evaluation using the medical 

questionnaire contained in Appendix C of 29 CFR 1910.134 or an initial medical 

examination that obtains the same information. 
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Q: What maintenance and care is required for respirators?

A: The employer must provide for the cleaning and 

disinfecting, storage, inspection, and repair of 

respirators used by employees according to the 

procedures in 29 CFR 1910.134. 

Q: Can a respirator be used by more than one person? 

How often should it be cleaned and disinfected?

A: Disposable respirators cannot be disinfected, and are therefore assigned to only one person. 

Disposable respirators must be discarded if they are soiled, physically damaged, or reach 

the end of their service life. Replaceable filter respirators may be shared, but must be 

thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each use before being worn by a different person, 

using the procedures in Appendix B-2 of 29 CFR 1910.134, or equally effective procedures 

recommended by the manufacturer. 

Q: How long can a particulate respirator be used before it must be discarded?

A: Respirators with replaceable filters are reusable, and a respirator classified as disposable 

may be reused by the same worker as long as it functions properly. All filters must be 

replaced whenever they are damaged, soiled, or causing noticeably increased breathing 

resistance (e.g., causing discomfort to the wearer). Before each use, the outside of the filter 

material should be inspected. If the filter material is physically damaged or soiled, the 

filter should be changed (in the case of respirators with replaceable filters) or the respirator 

discarded (in the case of disposable respirators). Always follow the respirator filter 

manufacturer’s service-time-limit recommendations. 

Employers must develop standard operating procedures for storing, reusing, and disposing 

of respirators that have been designated as disposable and for disposing of replaceable filter 

elements. 
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Q: What is the proper way to store a respirator that is used routinely?

A: Respirators must be stored to protect them from damage, contamination, dust, sunlight, 

extreme temperatures, excessive moisture, and damaging chemicals. They must also be 

packed or stored to prevent deformation of the facepiece and exhalation valve. A good 

method is to place them in individual storage bins. Keep in mind that respirator facepieces 

will become distorted and the straps will lose their elasticity if hung on a peg for a long 

time. Check for these problems before each use. 

Storing the respirator in a plastic sealable bag after use is not considered a good practice. 

The respirator may be damp after use and sealing prevents drying and encourages microbial 

growth. If plastic bags are used, respirators must be allowed to dry before storage. 

Q: Are there any additional requirements for the storage of emergency 

respirators? 

A: Yes, emergency respirators must be kept accesible to the work area and stored in 

compartments or in covers that are clearly marked as containing emergency respirators, and 

stored in accordance with any applicable manufacturer instructions. 

Q: What are the employer’s obligations when respiratory protection is not 

required but employees wear respirators on their own accord? 

A: The employer must implement those elements of the written respiratory protection program 

necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily is medically able to use 

that respirator, and that the respirator is cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does 

not present a health hazard to the user. Also, employers must provide the voluntary 

respirator users with the information contained in Appendix D of 29 CFR 1910.134. 

Employers are not required to include in a written respiratory program those employees 

whose only use of respirators involves the voluntary use of filtering facepieces (dust 

masks). 
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Q: Is training required before a respirator is used?

A: Yes, training must be provided to employees who are required to use respirators. The 

training must be comprehensive, understandable, and recur annually, and more often if 

necessary. This training should include at a minimum: 

• Why the respirator is necessary and how 

improper fit, use, or maintenance can 

compromise its protective effect 

• Limitations and capabilities of the 

respirator 

• Effective use in emergency situations 

• How to inspect, put on and remove, use 

and check the seals 

• Maintenance and storage 

• Recognition of medical signs and symptoms that may limit or prevent effective use 

• General requirements of OSHA’s respirator standard, 29 CFR 1910.134 

Q: What can be done if employees find it difficult to talk with coworkers when 

wearing a respirator? 

A: Some respirators may interfere with speech more than others. Devices that enhance speech 

communication are available. Ask your program administrator if there are alternatives. 

Q: If employees have a beard or moustache, is their respirator still effective?

A: Tight-fitting facepiece respirators must not be worn by employees who have facial hair that 

comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face or that interferes with valve 

function. Respirators that do not rely on a tight face seal, such as hoods or helmets, may be 

used by bearded individuals. 
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Q: Can employees wear glasses while wearing a respirator?

A: Yes, but if an employee wears corrective glasses or goggles or other personal protective 

equipment, the employer must ensure that such equipment is worn in a manner that does not 

interfere with the seal of the facepiece to the face of the user. Kits are available from all 

respirator manufacturers that allow the mounting of prescription lenses inside the respirator. 

Contact lenses can be worn with any type of respirator, but their use is not recommended in 

dusty atmospheres while wearing a half-mask facepiece. 

Q: If employees get a rash when they wear a respirator with a latex seal, how 

can this be prevented?

A: Users might have an allergy or sensitivity to the latex or its additives used in the 

manufacture of some respirators. Changing to a respirator using a silicone-based 

compound for the face seal, or a respirator that doesn’t have a face seal (like a hooded 

PAPR) may solve the problem. Employers must help employees find a respirator that does 

not cause this problem.