Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-842 - Respirators › Section 296-842-12005 - Develop and maintain a written program

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Exemption:
This section does NOT apply to respirator
						  use that is voluntary. See WAC
						  296-842-11005 for
						  voluntary use program requirements.
(1)
			 Develop a complete worksite-specific written respiratory protection
			 program that includes the applicable elements listed in Table 3. The
			 program must cover each employee required by this section to use a
			 respirator.
Note:
Pay for respirators, medical evaluations,
						  fit testing, training, maintenance, travel costs, and
						  wages.
(2) Keep your program current and
			 effective by evaluating it and making corrections. Do ALL of the
			 following:
(a) Make sure procedures
			 and program specifications are followed and appropriate.
(b) Make sure selected respirators
			 continue to be effective in protecting employees. For example, if
			 changes in work area conditions, level of employee exposure, or
			 employee physical stress have occurred, you need to reevaluate your
			 respirator selection.
(c)
			 Have supervisors periodically monitor employee respirator use to make
			 sure employees are using them properly.
(d) Regularly ask employees
			 required to use respirators about their views concerning program
			 effectiveness and whether they have problems with:
(i) Respirator fit during
			 use;
(ii) Any effects of
			 respirator use on work performance;
(iii) Respirators being appropriate
			 for the hazards encountered;
(iv) Proper use under current
			 worksite conditions;
(v)
			 Proper maintenance
(e) When developing your written
			 program include applicable elements listed in Table 3.
Table 3
Required Elements for Required-Use
						  Respirator Programs
Selection:
- Procedures for respirator selection
- A list specifying the appropriate
						  respirator for each respiratory hazard in your workplace
- Procedures for issuing the proper type of
						  respirator, if appropriate
* Medical evaluation provisions
* Fit-test provisions and procedures, if
						  tight-fitting respirators are selected
* Training provisions that
						  address:
- Respiratory hazards encountered
						  during:
* Routine activities
* Infrequent activities, for example,
						  bimonthly cleaning of equipment
* Reasonably foreseeable emergencies, for
						  example, rescue, spill response, or escape situations
- Proper use of respirators, for example, how
						  to put on or remove respirators, and use limitations.
Note:
You do NOT need to repeat
						  training on respiratory hazards if employees have been trained on
						  this in compliance with other rules such as WAC
						  296-901-140, Hazard
						  communication.
* Respirator use procedures for:
- Routine activities
- Infrequent activities
- Reasonably foreseeable emergencies
* Maintenance:
- Procedures and schedules for respirator
						  maintenance covering:
* Cleaning and disinfecting
* Storage
* Inspection and repair
* When to discard respirators
- A cartridge or canister change schedule
IF
air- purifying respirators are selected for use again
						  st g as o r vapor contaminants AND an end-of-service-life-indicator
						  (ESLI) is not available. In addition, provide:
* The data and other information you relied
						  on to calculate change schedule values (for example, highest
						  contaminant concentration estimates, duration of employee respirator
						  use, expected maximum humidity levels, user breathing rates, and
						  safety factors)
* Procedures to ensure a safe air quantity
						  and quality
IF
atmosphere-supplying respirators
						  (air-line or SCBA) are selected
* Procedures for evaluating program
						  effectiveness on a regular basis