Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-842 - Respirators › Section 296-842-10200 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
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-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 supplied respirator (see air-line
				respirator).
Assigned protection factor (APF).
The
				workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class
				of respirators is expected to provide to employees when you implement
				a continuing, effective respiratory protection program as specified
				by this chapter. For example, an effective program makes sure the
				respirator is:
(a) Functioning properly;
(b) Fitted to the user;
(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
				296-842-20005.
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
				silicone, 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.
DOSH.
The division of occupational
				safety and health, located in the department of labor and
				industries.
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.
A respirator
				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).
An activity where the facepiece seal
				of a respirator is challenged, using a DOSH 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;
(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 limits (PELs).
Employee exposures to toxic substances or harmful agents that must
				not be exceeded. PELs are specified in applicable DOSH
				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 respirator
				(PAPR).
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."
Required use.
Respirator use
				that:
(a) Is necessary to protect employees from
				respiratory hazards; or
(b) The employer decides to require for his or her
				own reasons. For example, the employer decides to follow more
				rigorous exposure limits.
Respirator.
A type of personal
				protective equipment designed to protect the wearer from airborne
				contaminants, oxygen deficiency, or both.
Respiratory hazard.
Airborne hazards
				and oxygen deficiency that are addressed in chapter 296-841 WAC,
				Airborne contaminants.
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 are not 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  49.17.050 and 29
				  C.F.R. Subpart Z. 09-19-119, § 296-842-10200, filed 9/22/09,
				  effective 12/1/09.