OSHA REQUIRES RESPIRATOR TRAINING
Giving someone a respirator is not the same as protecting them, the best respirator is only as good as the training received by its operator, that is why OSHA mandates effective comprehensive, understandable, and at the very least annual, training for employees who use respirators in 29 CFR 1910.134(k).
HAZMAT ROB & RESPIRATORS
The training must be covered in a written or oral format, in a manner that is understandable to the employee, but more importantly, the training must be provided to the employee prior to the respirators use.
RESPIRATOR TRAINING
To ensure the fit, usage and maintenance, doesn't compromise the protective effectiveness of the respirator, training must cover the limitations and capabilities of the respirator being supplied.
Topics to be covered in detail
How to use the respirator effectively in emergency situations, including situations in which the respirator malfunctions;
How to inspect, put on and remove, use, and checking the seals of the respirator
What the procedures are for maintenance and storage of the respirator;
How to recognize medical signs and symptoms that may limit or prevent the effective use of respirators.
RETRAINING
Retraining shall be administered annually, or immediately in the following cases; when there are changes in the workplace or a new type of respirator render previous training obsolete or any other situation arises in which retraining appears necessary to ensure safe respirator use.
Retraining would also be called for if inadequacies in the employee's knowledge or use of the respirator indicate that the employee had not retained the requisite understanding or skills.
A new employee who has received proper training within the last 12 months is not required to repeat such training provided that the employee can demonstrate their knowledge. A basic advisory information on respirators, is presented in appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.134 Occupational Safety and Health and Administration.
Dole out the training, before the respirators, then you'll be right with your employees, and OSHA. My haz-mat team instructor used to say “give a man a respirator, he will eat for the day, but if you teach him how to use it, he will live to eat for the rest of his life”, he wasn’t much of an instructor either!
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Robert J Keegan
Publisher and President
Hazardous Materials Publishing Company
Transportation Skills Programs Inc