Code of Maine Rules › 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › 144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL › Chapter 220 - Rules Relating to Radiation Protection › Part D - STANDARDS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RADIATION › Subpart H - RESPIRATORY PROTECTION AND CONTROLS TO RESTRICT INTERNAL EXPOSURE IN RESTRICTED AREAS › Section 144-220-D-H-1703 - Use of individual respiratory protection equipment

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
A. If the licensee or registrant assigns or
					 permits the use respiratory protection equipment to limit the intake of
					 radioactive material pursuant to D.1702,
(1)
					 Except as provided in D.1704.A(2), the licensee or registrant shall use only
					 respiratory protection equipment that is tested and certified by the National
					 Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
(2) If the licensee or registrant wishes to
					 use equipment that has not been tested or certified by the National Institute
					 for Occupational Safety and Health, the licensee or registrant shall submit an
					 application for authorized use of that equipment, including a demonstration by
					 testing, or a demonstration on the basis of reliable 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. This must be demonstrated either by licensee testing or on the basis of
					 reliable test information.
(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; Note: In those cases where air sampling is difficult or
					 even impossible, the exposure can be calculated based upon the known chemicals
					 and ventilation rates;
(b) Surveys
					 and bioassays, as appropriate, to evaluate actual intakes;
(c) Testing of respirators for operability
					 (user seal check for face sealing devices and functional check for others)
					 immediately prior to each use;
(d)
					 Written procedures regarding respirator selection, fit testing, storage,
					 issuance, maintenance, repair, testing of respirators, including testing for
					 operability immediately prior to each use; quality assurance of respiratory
					 protection equipment supervision and training of respirator users; monitoring,
					 including air sampling and bioassays; breathing air quality, inventory and
					 control, and recordkeeping; and limitations on periods of respirator use and
					 relief from respirator use; and
(e)
					 Determination by a physician that the individual user is medically fit to use
					 the respiratory protection equipment; before.
(i) The initial fitting of a face sealing
					 respirator;
(ii) Before the first
					 field use of non-face sealing respirators, and
(iii) Either every 12 months thereafter, or
					 periodically at a frequency determined by a physician.
(f) Fit testing, with a fit factor [GREATER
					 THAN OR EQUAL TO]10 times the APF for negative pressure devices, and a fit
					 factor [GREATER THAN OR EQUAL 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.
(4) 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.
(5) 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 for vision correction, adequate communication, low temperature
					 work environments and the concurrent use of other safety or radiological
					 protection equipment. The licensee shall use equipment in such a way as not to
					 interfere with the proper operation of the respirator.
(6) Standby rescue persons are required
					 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. The standby persons must be equipped with respiratory protection
					 devices or other apparatus appropriate for the potential hazards. The standby
					 rescue persons shall observe or otherwise maintain continuous communication
					 with the workers (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. A sufficient number of standby rescue persons must be immediately
					 available to assist all users of this type of equipment and to provide
					 effective emergency rescue if needed.
(7) Atmosphere-supplying respirators must be
					 supplied 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:
(a) Oxygen content (v/v) of
					 19.5-23.5%;
(b) Hydrocarbon
					 (condensed) content of 5 milligrams per cubic meter or air or fewer;
(c) Carbon Monoxide (CO) content of 10 ppm or
					 fewer;
(d) Carbon Dioxide content
					 of 1,000 ppm or fewer; and
(e) Lack
					 of noticeable odor
(9)
					 The licensee shall ensure that no objects, materials or substances, such as
					 facial hair, or any conditions that interfere with the face-facepiece seal or
					 valve function, and that are under the control of the wearer, are present
					 between the skin of the wearer's face and the sealing surface of a
					 tight-fitting respirator facepiece.
(10) In estimating the dose to individuals
					 from intake of airborne radioactive materials, the concentration of radioactive
					 material in the air that is inhaled when respirators are worn is initially
					 assumed to be the ambient concentration in air without the respiratory
					 protection, divided by the assigned protection factor. If the dose is later
					 found to be greater than the estimated dose, the corrected value must be used.
					 If the dose is later found to be less than the estimated dose, the corrected
					 value may be used.