Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 33 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY › Part XV - Radiation Protection › Chapter 4 - Standards for Protection against Radiation › Subchapter E - Respiratory Protection and Controls to Restrict Internal Exposure in Restricted Areas › Section XV-442 - Use of Individual Respiratory Protection Equipment

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. If the licensee or registrant assigns or
				  permits the use of respiratory protection equipment to limit intakes in
				  accordance with LAC 33:XV.441:
1. except as
				  provided in Paragraph A.2 of this Section, the licensee or registrant shall use
				  only respiratory protection equipment that is tested and certified or has had
				  certification extended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
				  Health/Mine Safety and Health Administration (NIOSH/ MSHA);
2. the licensee or registrant may use
				  equipment that has not been tested or certified by NIOSH/MSHA, has not had
				  certification extended by NIOSH/MSHA, or for which there is no schedule for
				  testing or certification, provided the licensee or registrant has submitted to
				  the Office of Environmental Compliance and the Office of Environmental
				  Compliance has approved an application for authorized use of that equipment,
				  including a demonstration by testing, or a demonstration on the basis of test
				  information, that the material and performance characteristics of the equipment
				  are capable of providing the proposed degree of protection under anticipated
				  conditions of use;
3. the licensee
				  or registrant shall implement and maintain a respiratory protection program
				  that includes:
a. air sampling sufficient to
				  identify the potential hazard, permit proper equipment selection, and estimate
				  doses;
b. surveys and bioassays, as
				  appropriate, to evaluate actual intakes;
c. tests of respirators for operability (user
				  seal check for face sealing devices and functional check for others)
				  immediately prior to each use;
d.
				  providing atmosphere-supplying respirators with respirable air of grade D
				  quality or better as defined by the Compressed Gas Association in publication
				  G-7.1, "Commodity Specification for Air," 1997, and included in the regulations
				  of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (29 CFR
				  1910.134(i)(1)(ii)(A) through
				  (E)). Grade D quality air criteria include:
i. oxygen content (v/v) of 19.5-23.5
				  percent;
ii. hydrocarbon
				  (condensed) content of 5 milligrams per cubic meter of air or less;
iii. carbon monoxide (CO) content of 10 ppm
				  or less;
iv. carbon dioxide content
				  of 1,000 ppm or less; and
v. lack
				  of noticeable odor;
e.
				  fit testing, with fit factor [GREATER THAN EQUALS TO]10 times the APF for
				  negative pressure devices, and a fit factor [GREATER THAN EQUALS TO]500 for any
				  positive pressure, continuous flow, and pressure-demand devices, before the
				  first field use of tight fitting, face-sealing respirators and periodically
				  thereafter at a frequency not to exceed one year. Fit testing must be performed
				  with the facepiece operating in the negative pressure mode;
f. written procedures regarding:
i. monitoring, including air sampling and
				  bioassays;
ii. supervision and
				  training of respirator users;
iii.
				  fit testing;
iv. respirator
				  selection;
v. breathing air
				  quality;
vi. inventory and
				  control;
vii. storage, issuance,
				  maintenance, repair, testing, and quality assurance of respiratory protection
				  equipment;
viii. recordkeeping;
				  and
ix. limitations on periods of
				  respirator use and relief from respirator use;
g. determination by a physician prior to the
				  initial fitting of a respirator, prior to the first field use of a non-face
				  sealing respirator, and at least every 12 months thereafter, or periodically at
				  a frequency determined by a physician, that the individual user is medically
				  fit to use the respiratory protection equipment;
4. the licensee or registrant shall issue and
				  comply with a written policy statement on respirator usage covering:
a. the use of process or other engineering
				  controls, instead of respirators;
b. the routine, nonroutine, and emergency use
				  of respirators; and
c. the length
				  of periods of respirator use and relief from respirator use.
5. the licensee or registrant
				  shall make available sufficient standby rescue persons to assist all respirator
				  users and to provide effective emergency rescue if needed, and shall provide
				  for the availability of standby rescue persons who:
a. are required to be present in situations
				  whenever one-piece atmosphere-supplying suits, or any combination of supplied
				  air respiratory protection device and personnel protective equipment are used
				  from which an unaided individual would have difficulty extricating himself or
				  herself;
b. must be equipped with
				  respiratory protection devices or other apparatus appropriate for the potential
				  hazards; and
c. shall observe or
				  otherwise maintain continuous communication with the workers (by visual, voice,
				  signal line, telephone, radio, or other suitable means) and be immediately
				  available to assist them in case of a failure of the air supply or for any
				  other reason that requires relief from distress;
6. the licensee or registrant shall advise
				  each respirator user that the user may leave the area at any time for relief
				  from respirator use in the event of equipment malfunction, physical or
				  psychological distress, procedural or communication failure, significant
				  deterioration of operating conditions, or any other conditions that might
				  require such relief; and
7. the
				  licensee or registrant shall use respiratory protection equipment within the
				  equipment manufacturer's expressed limitations for type and mode of use and
				  shall provide proper visual, communication, and other special capabilities,
				  such as adequate skin protection, when needed.