Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-307 - Safety standards for agriculture › SPECIALIZED OPERATIONS › Part Y-5 - Respirators › Section 296-307-622 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Air-purifying respirator (APR).
A respirator
					 equipped with an air-purifying element such as a filter, cartridge, or
					 canister,
OR
having a filtering facepiece, for example, a dust
					 mask.
The element or filtering facepiece is designed to remove
					 specific contaminants, such as particles, vapors, or gases, from air that
					 passes through it.
Air-line respirator.
An atmosphere-supplying
					 respirator for which breathing air is drawn from a source separate from and not
					 worn by the user, such as:
(a) A cylinder or a tank;
(b) A compressor;
(c) An uncontaminated environment.
Air supplied respirator (see air-line
					 respirator).
Assigned protection factor (APF).
Indicates
					 the expected level of workplace respiratory protection WHEN the respirator
					 is:
(a) Functioning properly;
AND
(b) Fitted to the user;
AND
(c) Worn by trained individuals;
AND
(d) Used with the limitations specified on the NIOSH
					 approval label.
Atmosphere-supplying respirator.
A respirator
					 that supplies the user with breathing air from sources, such as:
(a) A cylinder or a tank;
(b) A compressor;
(c) An uncontaminated environment.
Breathing air.
Air supplied to an
					 atmosphere-supplying respirator. This air meets the specifications found in WAC
					 296-307-616.
Canister or cartridge (air-purifying).
Part of
					 an air-purifying respirator that consists of a container holding materials such
					 as fiber, treated charcoal, or a combination of the two, that removes
					 contaminants from the air passing through the cartridge or canister.
Cartridge respirator (see also air-purifying
					 respirator).
An air-purifying respirator equipped with one or more
					 cartridges. These respirators have a facepiece made from sil-icone, rubber OR
					 other plastic-like materials.
Demand respirator.
An atmosphere-supplying
					 respirator that sends breathing air to the facepiece only when suction
					 (negative pressure) is created inside the facepiece by inhalation. Demand
					 respirators are
"negative pressure"
respirators.
Dust mask.
A name used to refer to
					 filtering-facepiece respirators. Dust masks may or may not be NIOSH certified.
					 See filtering facepiece.
Emergency respirator.
Respirators suitable for
					 rescue, escape, or other activities during emergency situations.
Emergency situation.
Any occurrence that could
OR
does result in a significant uncontrolled release of an
					 airborne contaminant. Causes of emergency situations include, but are not
					 limited to, equipment failure, rupture of containers, or failure of control
					 equipment.
End-of-service-life indicator (ESLI).
A system
					 that warns the air-purifying respirator user that cartridges or canisters must
					 be changed. An example of an ESLI is a dot on the respirator cartridge that
					 changes color.
Escape-only respirator.
A respirator that can
					 only be used to exit during emergencies. Look for this use limitation on the
					 respirator's NIOSH approval label.
Exposed, or exposure.
The contact an employee
					 has with a toxic substance, harmful physical agent, or oxygen deficient
					 condition. Exposure can occur through various routes of entry, such as
					 inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, or skin absorption.
Filter.
Fibrous material that removes dust,
					 spray, mist, fume, fog, smoke particles,
OR
other aerosols from
					 the air.
Filtering-facepiece respirator.
A
					 tight-fitting, half-facepiece, negative-pressure, particulate air-purifying
					 respirator with the facepiece
MAINLY
composed of filter material.
					 These respirators do not use cartridges or canisters and may have sealing
					 surfaces composed of rubber, silicone or other plastic-like materials. They are
					 sometimes referred to as "dust masks."
Fit factor.
A number providing an estimate of
					 fit for a particular respiratory inlet covering to a specific individual during
					 quantitative fit testing.
Fit test (see also qualitative fit test and
					 quantitative fit test).
Fit testing is an activity where the facepiece
					 seal of a respirator is challenged, using a WISHA accepted procedure, to
					 determine if the respirator provides an adequate seal.
Full-facepiece respirator.
A tight-fitting
					 respirator that covers the wearer's nose, mouth, and eyes.
Gas mask.
An air-purifying respirator equipped
					 with one or more canisters. These respirators have a facepiece made from
					 silicone, rubber OR other plastic-like materials.
Half-facepiece respirator.
A tight-fitting
					 respirator that only covers the wearer's nose and mouth.
Helmet.
The rigid part of a respirator that
					 covers the wearer's head AND also provides head protection against impact or
					 penetration.
High-efficiency particulate air filter
					 (HEPA).
A powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) filter that removes at
					 least 99.97% of monodisperse dioctyl phthalate (DOP) particles with a mean
					 particle diameter of 0.3 micrometer from contaminated air.
Note:
Filters designated, under 42 C.F.R. Part 84, as an
								"N100," "R100," or "P100" provide the same filter efficiency (99.97%) as HEPA
								filters.
Hood.
The part of a respirator that completely
					 covers the wearer's head and neck AND may also cover some or all of the
					 shoulders and torso.
Immediately dangerous to life or health
					 (IDLH).
An atmospheric condition that would:
(a) Cause an immediate threat to life;
OR
(b) Cause permanent or delayed adverse health
					 effects;
OR
(c) Interfere with an employee's ability to escape.
Licensed health care professional (LHCP).
An
					 individual whose legally permitted scope of medical practice allows him or her
					 to provide
SOME OR ALL
of the health care services required for
					 respirator users' medical evaluations.
Loose-fitting facepiece.
A respiratory inlet
					 covering that is designed to form a partial seal with the face.
Negative-pressure respirator.
Any
					 tight-fitting respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is less
					 than the air pressure outside the respirator during inhalation.
NIOSH.
The National Institute for Occupational
					 Safety and Health. NIOSH is the federal agency that certifies respirators for
					 occupational use.
Oxygen deficient.
An atmosphere with an oxygen
					 content below 19.5% by volume.
Permissible exposure limit (PEL).
Permissible
					 exposure limits (PELs) are employee exposures to toxic substances or harmful
					 agents that must not be exceeded. PELs are specified in applicable WISHA
					 chapters.
Positive-pressure respirator.
A respirator in
					 which the air pressure inside the respiratory-inlet covering is greater than
					 the air pressure outside the respirator.
Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs).
An
					 air-purifying respirator equipped with a blower that draws ambient air through
					 cartridges or canisters. These respirators, as a group, are
NOT
classified as positive pressure respirators and must not be used as
					 such.
Pressure-demand respirator.
A
					 positive-pressure atmosphere-supplying respirator that sends breathing air to
					 the respiratory inlet covering when the positive pressure is reduced inside the
					 facepiece by inhalation or leakage.
Qualitative fit test (QLFT).
A test that
					 determines the adequacy of respirator fit for an individual. The test relies on
					 the employee's ability to detect a test substance. Test results are either
					 "pass" or "fail."
Quantitative fit test (QNFT).
A test that
					 determines the adequacy of respirator fit for an individual. The test relies on
					 specialized equipment that performs numeric measurements of leakage into the
					 respiratory inlet covering. Test results are used to calculate a "fit
					 factor."
Respiratory hazard.
Harmful airborne hazards
					 and oxygen deficiency that are addressed in WAC
					 296-307-624, Identifying
					 and controlling airborne hazards and oxygen deficiency.
Required use
(Respirator use).
(a) That is necessary to protect employees from respiratory
					 hazards;
OR
(b) That the employer decides to require for his or her own
					 reasons. For example, the employer decides to follow more rigorous exposure
					 limits;
(c) The employer for his or her own reasons. For example,
					 the employer decides to follow more rigorous exposure limits,
OR
the employer is required to follow a medical recommendation.
Respirator.
A type of personal protective
					 equipment designed to protect the wearer from harmful airborne hazards, oxygen
					 deficiency, or both.
Respiratory inlet covering.
The part of a
					 respirator that forms the protective barrier between the user's respiratory
					 tract and an air-purifying device or breathing air source or both. The
					 respiratory inlet covering may be a facepiece, helmet, hood, suit, or
					 mouthpiece respirator with nose clamp.
Seal check.
Actions conducted by the
					 respirator user each time the respirator is put on, to determine if the
					 respirator is properly seated on the face.
Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
An
					 atmosphere-supplying respirator designed for the breathing air source, to be
					 carried by the user.
Service-life.
The period of time that a
					 respirator, filter or sorbent, or other respiratory equipment provides adequate
					 protection to the wearer. For example, the period of time that sorbent
					 cartridge is effective for removing a harmful substance from the air.
Sorbent.
Rigid, porous material, such as
					 charcoal, used to remove vapor or gas from the air.
Supplied-air respirator (see air-line
					 respirator).
Tight-fitting facepiece.
A respiratory inlet
					 covering forming a complete seal with the face OR neck. Mouthpiece respirators
					 aren't tight-fitting facepieces.
Voluntary use.
Respirator use that is
					 requested by the employee
AND
permitted by the employer when
NO
respiratory hazard exists.
Statutory Authority:
						RCW
						 49.17.010,
						49.17.040,
						49.17.050,
						49.17.060. 05-01-166, §
						296-307-622, filed 12/21/04, effective
						4/2/05.