Environments that might require the use of a respirator could include areas that may be oxygen deficient such as a confined space, or atmospheres that may be contaminated with toxic particulates, vapors or gases (i.e. asbestos, silica, pesticides, certain lab chemicals, paint fumes etc.).

Prior to the selection of respiratory protection, the University must make a reasonable estimate of the employee exposures anticipated to occur as a result of those hazards, including those likely to be encountered in reasonably foreseeable emergency situations. The employee and/or supervisor must complete a Respirator Request Form. A hazard/risk assessment will be performed by RM&S, the TCO or other qualified individual(s) designated by RM&S. The supervisor must present the Safety Data Sheet(s) (SDS) and any other applicable manufacturer’s information with the Respirator Request Form to RM&S. Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) conditions must be assumed where sources of airborne hazards are evident and employee exposures have not been, or cannot be estimated.

The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards is a guide that is intended as a source of general industrial hygiene information on several hundred chemicals/classes for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals. Please refer to this guide when identifying various chemical hazards.

As part of the hazard/risk assessment the University has three options to use: Initial Exposure Assessment, Historical Data and/or Objective Data are all acceptable. When using Initial Exposure and Historical Data, a periodic monitoring plan must be in place to ensure exposure levels are acceptable. The affected UVM department is responsible for initiating & maintaining that plan with the support of RM&S.

An Approval for Respirator Use form will be returned to the employee and supervisor once a risk assessment has been completed.

To prevent illness or disease caused by breathing hazardous air in the workplace, administrative and engineering controls must be used to the extent possible to prevent contamination of the workplace atmosphere. Appropriate respirators must be used when engineering controls are not feasible, adequate or while they are being put in place.

Engineering controls physically change the work environment to reduce employee exposure to air contaminants. Such controls may include, but are not limited to:

• Change of the work process (i.e., wet mop vs. dry sweep).
• Substitution of less hazardous substances for more harmful materials (i.e., latex paints vs. oil based paints).
• Isolation or enclosure of the work process or of employees (i.e., seal the doorway to where work is being performed).
• Local exhaust or general dilution ventilation (i.e., use of chemical fume hoods or biological safety cabinets)

To ensure the administrative and engineering controls are sufficient to protect the employee's health for a particular hazard the affected department is responsible for contacting the Department of Risk Management & Safety.

The UVM Respiratory Protection Program is intended to protect employees against recognized health hazards. However, an employee may be irritated by the presence of levels of non-hazardous air contaminants (such as dust, pollen or dander), or working in an area where a Negative Exposure Assessment (NEA) has determined that respiratory protection is NOT required. The Employee may voluntarily choose to wear a respirator. When the use of a respirator will help alleviate irritation and when a respirator itself is judged to pose no additional risk to the wearer, a UVM employee is permitted to voluntarily use a respirator.

Voluntary Respirator Use means that an exposure assessment has been conducted by RM&S and/or the TCO and it has been determined that a respirator is NOT required to reduce exposures below their current levels, because the permissible exposure limits are not being exceeded. Therefore, UVM does not need to require or recommend that a respirator be used.

Determining Voluntary Use

Employees who desire to use a respirator for comfort reasons must first notify their supervisor of this request. The supervisor should assist the employee in completing (and signing) a Respirator Request Form.

RMS will review the completed form and contact the individual to conduct a hazard assessment of the procedure(s). A hazard assessment allows for a determination to be made as to whether or not UVM will approve the individual for "Required Respirator Use" or "Voluntary Respirator Use." “Voluntary Respirator Use” will be approved only when it is appropriate for protection against an irritating substance and when it poses no health risk to the wearer.

Once approved for Voluntary Respirator Use, the wearer must;

1. Complete a VOSHA respirator medical questionnaire; and, once medically cleared for respirator use;
2. Complete the “Voluntary Respirator Use” training;
3. Read and understand the information contained in Appendix D of 29 CFR 1910.134, OSHA Respiratory Protection regulation;
4. Report any changes, questions or concerns in your work environment that may affect respirator use to your supervisor and RM&S.

Employees may not rely on respirators to control exposures when feasible engineering controls are available. When engineering controls are not sufficient, or while they are being instituted, appropriate respirators will be used.

Based on the information provided from the hazard assessment performed by RMS, a qualified individual(s) will identify and evaluate respiratory hazards and the logic in this section will be used to determine the appropriate type of respirator to be worn. Where a contaminant source is identified and cannot be reasonably estimated, it will be considered IDLH.

All respirators must be certified and bear an approval number by NIOSH. This includes all replaceable parts, disposable filters and fit testing equipment. Modifications of respirator equipment are not permitted beyond the manufacturer's intent, instructions or accessories.

The University will provide respirators, when necessary, which are applicable and suitable for the purpose intended. Different brands, models and sizes will be available for the individual to achieve the most comfortable fit.

Below is a list of different types of respiratory protection used at the University:

• Filtering facepiece (i.e. N-95)
• Air-Purifying Respirator (APR)
• A half or full face tight fitting negative pressure respirator.
• Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR)
• A full face tight
• Loose-fitting positive pressure respirator.
• Loose-Fitting Covering (i.e. hood & helmet)
• Atmosphere Supplying Respirator
• Classes of Atmosphere Supplying Respirator
• Continuous Flow
• Demand
• Pressure Demand
• Supplied Air Respirator (SAR)
• Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

A tight-fitting facepiece respirator is not to be worn if facial hair (24 hour growth or more) compromises the peripheral seal or valve function. If the employee is not receptive to removal of facial hair or if the assigned activity cannot be transferred to another employee, a positive pressure hood or helmet type respirator must be used, given that the respirator provides adequate protection.

The use of disposable filtering facepieces is acceptable in some applications (i.e., animal care, pandemic preparedness etc.). A designated qualified individual from RM&S will review the Respirator Request Form for applicability. These types of respirators are not approved in many circumstances, including use with gases and vapors, and during asbestos and lead control activities.

Employees may wear corrective lenses or goggles, but they may not interfere with the seal of the facepiece to the face of the user. The University will provide spectacle kits and corrective lenses for use with tight-fitting full face respirators. Hard contact lenses are not to be worn with any PAPR or SAR. Soft contact lenses with a full face, helmeted or hooded respirator are allowed. Contact lenses are not recommended in dusty environments while wearing a half face respirator.

The OSHA website provides an eTool with instruction on the proper selection of respiratory protection and the development of change schedules for gas/vapor cartridges as well as helps you comply with the OSHA respirator standard.

• OSHA eTools

The University of Vermont uses the assigned protection factors listed in Table 1 to select a respirator that meets or exceeds the required level of employee protection. When using a combination respirator (e.g., airline respirators with an air-purifying filter), employers must ensure that the assigned protection factor is appropriate to the mode of operation in which the respirator is being used.

Assigned protection factors can be found on OSHA's webpage or in their Assigned Protection Factors Guide (PDF).

Filter – A component used in respirators to remove solid or liquid aerosols from the inspired air. Also called air- purifying element.

High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA) – Filter that is at least 99.97% efficient in removing monodisperse particulates of 0.3 micrometers in diameter.

Equivalent NIOSH 42 CFR 84 particulate filters are:

• N100
• R100
• P100

Categories of Resistance to Oil:

• N = Not resistant to Oil
• R = Resistant to Oil
• P = Oil proof

Percentage (%) of Filtering Efficiency:

• 95 = filters 95% of airborne particles
• 99 = filters 99% of airborne particles
• 100 = filters at least 99.97% of airborne particles

Although there are nine (9) classes of filters for NIOSH-approved filtering facepiece respirators available at this time, ninety-five percent (95%) is the minimal level of filtration that will be approved by NIOSH. N95 and P100 are the most commonly used.

Canister or Cartridge – A container with a filter, sorbent, or catalyst, or combination of these items, which removes specific contaminants from the air passed through the container. The service life is a period of time that respirator, filter or sorbent or other respiratory equipment provides adequate protection to the wearer. An ESLI is a system that warns the user of the approach of the end of adequate respiratory protection; e.g., the sorbent is approaching saturation or is no longer effective. Please refer to Appendix D for assistance in respirator cartridge, canister and filter selection.

For canisters and cartridges without a built-in ESLI, the University will use a Respirator Change-Out Schedule. A change schedule is the part of all written respirator programs which states how often cartridges should be replaced and what information was relied upon to make this judgment. A cartridge's useful service life is how long it provides adequate protection from harmful chemicals in the air. The service life of a cartridge depends upon many factors, including environmental conditions, breathing rate, cartridge filtering capacity, and the concentration of contaminants in the air. It is suggested that employers apply a safety factor to the service life estimate to assure that the change schedule is a conservative estimate. There are 3 valid ways for you to estimate a cartridge's service life according to VOSHA.

• Please refer to Respirator Change Schedules website for details.
• For those respirator users that are fitted for a 3M Respirator please refer to 3M Select & Service Life Software

Employees should assume worst case conditions to avoid breakthrough earlier than anticipated.

If respiratory protection is needed or requested as part of voluntary use, a respirator medical evaluation is required in advance to determine if the employee is physically qualified to use a respirator. The use of a respirator adds resistance to the normal breathing functions of the body, and breathing may become laborious under certain conditions. For example, areas of high humidity, or respirator filters in need of replacement because of the accumulation of airborne dusts, mists or vapors, may contribute to the respiratory resistance. For these reasons, regulations require a respirator medical evaluation in advance of use.

The University will provide a respirator medical evaluation to employees at no cost. If a worker refuses to be medically evaluated for the use of a respirator, he or she cannot perform a job that requires a respirator. Click here for the VOSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire (DOC and instructions.

The University has contracted with Champlain Medical Urgent Care of South Burlington, Vermont. Champlain Medical Physicians or Licensed Health Care Professionals (PLHCP) perform medical evaluations using a VOSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire or an initial medical examination that obtains the same information as the medical questionnaire.

A follow-up medical examination is provided for employees who give a positive response to any question on the VOSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire, or whose initial medical evaluation demonstrates the need for a follow-up medical examination. The follow-up medical examination will include any medical tests, consultations, or diagnostic procedures that the PLHCP deems necessary to make a final determination.

Respirator medical evaluations will be scheduled and recorded. Examinations will be made available during the employee’s normal working hours or at a time and place convenient to the employee. A PLHCP will examine and review the physiological and psychological conditions pertinent to the wearing of different types of respirators for each employee. The PLHCP is available to discuss the results of the questionnaire with the employee. Such evaluation will include history, medical questionnaire, physical exam and Pulmonary Function Test (PFT).

The Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has created a website titled “Specific Medical Tests or Examinations Published in the Literature for OSHA-Regulated Substances.” Prior to the employee attending the medical evaluation, the employee and the supervisor will consult the following website to ensure all required medical procedures are performed based on exposure.

• Chemical names

A medical examination will be provided as required for the following:

• Employees exposed to asbestos or lead above the PEL for more than 30 days during a working year.
• Employees whose work is regulated by a more stringent standard or guideline(s);
• When Employees report medical signs or symptoms related to ability to use respirator;
• PLHCP, supervisor or respiratory protection administrator informs the University of needs of a re-evaluation; or
• A change in work place conditions that may result in substantial increase in physiological burden placed on employee.

Certain medical conditions of an employee may preclude the use of a respirator. A PLHCP may investigate a medical condition that is not addressed in the questionnaire if the PLHCP has reason to believe that the condition could affect the employee’s ability to wear a respirator. A PLHCP, based on the information obtained from the medical evaluation, will make the following determinations:

• Whether or not the employee is medically able to use a respirator;
• Any limitations on respirator use related to the medical condition of the employee or to the workplace conditions in which the respirator will be used; and,
• The need, if any, for follow-up medical evaluations.

Respirator medical evaluations will be administered confidentially. The University’s access to information is limited to the information contained in the PLHCP’s written recommendation.

To attend the training session and select a respirator, employees will have to satisfy all requirements and be approved for respirator use. Successful completion of the training session will certify that the employee has shown competency and is aware of the factors and limitations concerning the need for and proper use of respiratory protection. This session will include:

• How respiratory systems work;
• Respiratory hazards and how they affect the respiratory system;
• Purpose of respiratory protection;
• Different types of respirators and their purposes;
• Proper fit, inspection, cleaning, and disinfecting, and storage of respirators;
• How to completely disassemble and assemble a respirator;
• Medical evaluations; and
• Engineering Controls.

The user seal check is required each time a tight-fitting respirator is donned to check for face–to-facepiece leaks. Employees will demonstrate how to correctly don the respirator and perform a user seal check. For acclimation to occur with the respirator to the employee’s face the user must wear the respirator for a minimum of 5 minutes prior to the fit testing.

Fit testing is required initially for all tight-fitting types (both APR’s and atmosphere supplying), whenever a different (make, model, size) facepiece is used, and annually thereafter. Fit test will be repeated if an employee receives a new or different respirator, after dental surgery, facial surgery, a weight gain or loss greater than 20% and at any time, and as requested by the employee.

There are two categories of fit tests

Qualitative (QLFT) – Relies on the individuals response to a test agent (e.g., irritant smoke). QLFT is used for fit testing negative pressure APRs that must achieve fit factors of less than 100.

For a Qualitative Fit Test with irritant smoke employees will be instructed to: 1) breathe normally, 2) breathe deeply, 3) turn head side to side, 4) move head up and down slowly, 5) read the VOSHA rainbow passage, 6) jog in place (or alternative to simulate physical demands of work on the device), 7) breathe normally. Sensitivity of irritant smoke will be tested prior to the fit test.

Quantitative (QNFT) - Involves a numerical measurement of mask leakage

Concentration of a substance in ambient air/Concentration inside the respirator when worn

E.g., Condensation nuclei counter (TSI Portacount). Used for fit factors of 100 or greater. Must yield a fit factor of 100 or greater for half-mask or 500 or greater for full facepiece

For a Quantitative Fit Test employees will be instructed to: 1) breathe normally, 2) breathe deeply, 3) turn head side to side, 4) move head up and down slowly, 5) read the VOSHA rainbow passage, 6) grimace, 7) bending over, repeatedly (or alternative to simulate physical demands of work on the device), 8) breathe normally.

These exercises will take approximately 15 minutes.

It is critical that each employee performs a positive/negative user seal check prior to entering a harmful atmosphere. This will be emphasized in the training session and should be reinforced by the employee's supervisor. The respirator must be properly worn at all times.

Every person assigned a respirator should complete the following procedures:

• The respirator user will be responsible for routinely inspecting his or her respirator for defects, signs of wear, and for replacing deteriorated parts.
• Reusable respirators should be cleaned with warm water and disinfected on a daily basis. Particulate filters should be changed weekly when used a few hours a day on a daily basis. Filters should always be changed when breathing resistance is detected
• The respirator should be stored in a safe, clean manner, in an area free from excessive dust, sunlight, temperature, moisture and chemicals. The storage area should be large enough so as to not disfigure the respirator.
• If cartridges are to be re-used, they should be removed from the respirator and stored in a separate plastic bag. The respirator should be stored in a separate plastic bag as well.
• Supervisory personnel will periodically monitor and inspect the use of respirators to ensure proper use and care.
• The respirator is to be properly donned and a user seal check performed prior to every use. A negative user seal check is conducted by sealing the filter openings and inhaling. Air leakage should not be detectable. A positive user seal check is conducted after sealing the exhalation valve and exhaling until a slight bulge is achieved in the nose cup. Air leakage should not be detectable.
• Positive User Seal Check Negative User Seal Check
  • Straps should be adjusted for a snug fit. The respirator should be properly fitted on the face, cheeks and nose-bridge with room for eye protection and limited talking.
  • Respirator straps should be worn inside the hood of the suit to avoid premature or accidental respirator removal.
  • Verbal communication should be kept to a minimum while wearing a respirator to avoid breaking the seal of the facepiece.
  • Always read cartridge and filter labels prior to use. Make certain purifying cartridges are NIOSH approved and provide the required protection for the specific contaminant.
  • Air purifying respirators MUST NOT BE USED for protection against gas or vapor, which does not have a warning property such as odor, taste, respiratory irritation or increased breathing resistance.
  • Air purifying respirators MUST ONLY BE USED when the warning properties of a gas or vapor are detectable before the contaminant reaches the VOSHA PEL level.

To attend the training session and select a respirator, employees will have to satisfy all requirements and be approved for respirator use. Successful completion of the training session will certify that the employee has shown competency and is aware of the factors and limitations concerning the need for and proper use of respiratory protection. This session will include:

• How respiratory systems work;
• Respiratory hazards and how they affect the respiratory system;
• Purpose of respiratory protection;
• Different types of respirators and their purposes;
• Proper fit, inspection, cleaning, and disinfecting, and storage of respirators;
• How to completely disassemble and assemble a respirator;
• Medical evaluations; and
• Engineering Controls.

The user seal check is required each time a tight-fitting respirator is donned to check for face–to-facepiece leaks. Employees will demonstrate how to correctly don the respirator and perform a user seal check. For acclimation to occur with the respirator to the employee’s face the user must wear the respirator for a minimum of 5 minutes prior to the fit testing.

Fit testing is required initially for all tight-fitting types (both APR’s and atmosphere supplying), whenever a different (make, model, size) facepiece is used, and annually thereafter. Fit test will be repeated if an employee receives a new or different respirator, after dental surgery, facial surgery, a weight gain or loss greater than 20% and at any time, and as requested by the employee.

There are two categories of fit tests

Qualitative (QLFT) – Relies on the individuals response to a test agent (e.g., irritant smoke). QLFT is used for fit testing negative pressure APRs that must achieve fit factors of less than 100.

For a Qualitative Fit Test with irritant smoke employees will be instructed to: 1) breathe normally, 2) breathe deeply, 3) turn head side to side, 4) move head up and down slowly, 5) read the VOSHA rainbow passage, 6) jog in place (or alternative to simulate physical demands of work on the device), 7) breathe normally. Sensitivity of irritant smoke will be tested prior to the fit test.

Quantitative (QNFT) - Involves a numerical measurement of mask leakage

Concentration of a substance in ambient air/Concentration inside the respirator when worn

E.g., Condensation nuclei counter (TSI Portacount). Used for fit factors of 100 or greater. Must yield a fit factor of 100 or greater for half-mask or 500 or greater for full facepiece

For a Quantitative Fit Test employees will be instructed to: 1) breathe normally, 2) breathe deeply, 3) turn head side to side, 4) move head up and down slowly, 5) read the VOSHA rainbow passage, 6) grimace, 7) bending over, repeatedly (or alternative to simulate physical demands of work on the device), 8) breathe normally.

These exercises will take approximately 15 minutes.

It is critical that each employee performs a positive/negative user seal check prior to entering a harmful atmosphere. This will be emphasized in the training session and should be reinforced by the employee's supervisor. The respirator must be properly worn at all times.

Every person assigned a respirator should complete the following procedures:

• The respirator user will be responsible for routinely inspecting his or her respirator for defects, signs of wear, and for replacing deteriorated parts.
• Reusable respirators should be cleaned with warm water and disinfected on a daily basis. Particulate filters should be changed weekly when used a few hours a day on a daily basis. Filters should always be changed when breathing resistance is detected
• The respirator should be stored in a safe, clean manner, in an area free from excessive dust, sunlight, temperature, moisture and chemicals. The storage area should be large enough so as to not disfigure the respirator.
• If cartridges are to be re-used, they should be removed from the respirator and stored in a separate plastic bag. The respirator should be stored in a separate plastic bag as well.
• Supervisory personnel will periodically monitor and inspect the use of respirators to ensure proper use and care.
• The respirator is to be properly donned and a user seal check performed prior to every use. A negative user seal check is conducted by sealing the filter openings and inhaling. Air leakage should not be detectable. A positive user seal check is conducted after sealing the exhalation valve and exhaling until a slight bulge is achieved in the nose cup. Air leakage should not be detectable.
• Positive User Seal Check Negative User Seal Check
  • Straps should be adjusted for a snug fit. The respirator should be properly fitted on the face, cheeks and nose-bridge with room for eye protection and limited talking.
  • Respirator straps should be worn inside the hood of the suit to avoid premature or accidental respirator removal.
  • Verbal communication should be kept to a minimum while wearing a respirator to avoid breaking the seal of the facepiece.
  • Always read cartridge and filter labels prior to use. Make certain purifying cartridges are NIOSH approved and provide the required protection for the specific contaminant.
  • Air purifying respirators MUST NOT BE USED for protection against gas or vapor, which does not have a warning property such as odor, taste, respiratory irritation or increased breathing resistance.
  • Air purifying respirators MUST ONLY BE USED when the warning properties of a gas or vapor are detectable before the contaminant reaches the VOSHA PEL level.

A designated qualified individual from RM&S will maintain documentation of employee respirator selection, medical evaluation and potential/actual exposure to contaminants. The employee record is available to the respective employee, the immediate supervisor and any individual who has received approval from RM&S.

Documented repair and maintenance of respirators includes the dates of respirator repairs, the name of the respirator user, the type of repair and parts used. During workplace safety audits and upon request, a designated, qualified individual from RM&S will periodically inspect on-site procedures, equipment and program documentation. For laboratory use of respirators, such records should be maintained in the Lab Safety Notebook.

The respirator program will include an annual evaluation to be reviewed by RM&S. The program may be reviewed as necessary and at any time.

Respirator Use in Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) Atmospheres

Workers must consider all oxygen deficient atmospheres to be IDLH. IDLH environments require the highest level of respiratory protection and reliability.UVM, as the employer, must provide either of the following for use in IDLH environments: full-facepiece pressure demand SCBA’s that are certified by NIOSH for a minimum service life of 30 minutes, or a combination full-facepiece pressure demand supplied air respirators with auxiliary self-contained air supply.

Respirator Use in Low Temperature Environments

A low temperature environment may cause fogging of the lens in a respiratory inlet covering and freezing or improper sealing, or both, of the exhalation valve. Coating the inside surface of the lens (i.e. recommended manufacturer’s product or saliva) may prevent fogging at low atmospheric temperatures approaching 0 degrees Centigrade (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but severe fogging of the lens may occur at temperatures below -18 degrees Centigrade (0 degrees Fahrenheit). Full facepieces are available with nose cups that direct the warm and moist exhaled air through the exhalation valve without contacting the lens. These facepieces should provide satisfactory vision at temperatures as low as -32 degrees Centigrade (-25 degrees Fahrenheit).

At very low atmospheric temperatures, the exhalation valve of a respirator may freeze open or closed due to the presence of moisture. Dry respirable air should be used with an air-line respirator and with the type of SCBA that employs a cylinder of air when these devices are used in a low temperature atmosphere. The dew point of this breathing air should be appropriate to the temperature of the atmospheric air. High pressure connections on SCBA may leak because of metal contractions at low atmospheric temperature.

These connections should not be over tightened, since they may break when the apparatus is returned to an atmosphere at normal room temperature. Some air-line type supplied air respirators may be equipped with a device called a vortex tube to warm the air supplied to the respirator inlet covering of the respirator.

Emergency use respirators that are stored in low temperature environments may require special elastomeric components that will retain their elasticity at low temperatures (i.e., regulator diaphragms, gaskets, and breathing tubes). Facepieces stored in low temperature environments can become stiff and distorted to a degree that may prevent an adequate seal of the face to the facepiece. Special care will be used to prevent distortion of facepieces stored at low temperatures. Some SCBA models have cold temperature accessories that may be utilized to help overcome these problems. The manufacturer's instructions will be followed when utilizing these cold temperature accessories.

Respirator Use in High Temperature Environments

A person working in a high temperature environment is under stress. Wearing a respirator in such an environment applies additional stress on the person. The additional stress, because of wearing a respirator in a high temperature environment, should be minimized by using a respirator having a low weight and offering low resistance to breathing. The air-line type supplied air respirator is recommended for use in a high temperature environment. Air-line type supply air respirators equipped with a vortex tube to cool the air supplied to the respirator inlet covering will substantially reduce the temperature of the air supplied to the respirator.

Elastomeric components of respirators stored in high temperature environments may deteriorate at an accelerated rate and the facepiece may become permanently distorted. Special care will be used to prevent facepiece distortion. All such respirators will be inspected and maintained at frequency rate that will prevent the use of respirators with deteriorated elastomeric components.

Breathing Air & Oxygen for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBAs) & Supplied Air Respirators (SARs)

Compressed gaseous or liquid oxygen will meet the requirements of the United States Pharmacopoeia for medical or breathing oxygen.

Chemically generated oxygen will meet the requirements of U.S. Department of Defense Military Specification MIL- E-83252 or Military Specification MIL-O-15633c.

Compressed gaseous air will meet at least the requirements of the specification for Type C - Grade D breathing air.

Compressed gaseous air may contain low concentrations of oil. If high-pressure oxygen passes through oil or grease- coated orifice, an explosion or fire may occur. Therefore, compressed gaseous oxygen will not be used in supplied air respirators or in open circuit type self-contained breathing apparatus that have previously used compressed air. A compressor will be constructed and situated so as to avoid entry of contaminated air into the air supply system and will be equipped with a suitable in line air purifying sorbent bed and filter to further assure breathing air quality. If an oil lubricated compressor is used, it will be equipped with a high temperature alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm.

Respirator Use in Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) Atmospheres

Workers must consider all oxygen deficient atmospheres to be IDLH. IDLH environments require the highest level of respiratory protection and reliability. UVM, as the employer, must provide either of the following for use in IDLH environments: full-facepiece pressure demand SCBA’s that are certified by NIOSH for a minimum service life of 30 minutes, or a combination full-facepiece pressure demand supplied air respirators with auxiliary self-contained air supply.

Respirator Use in Low Temperature Environments

A low temperature environment may cause fogging of the lens in a respiratory inlet covering and freezing or improper sealing, or both, of the exhalation valve. Coating the inside surface of the lens (i.e. recommended manufacturer’s product or saliva) may prevent fogging at low atmospheric temperatures approaching 0 degrees Centigrade (32 degrees Fahrenheit), but severe fogging of the lens may occur at temperatures below -18 degrees Centigrade (0 degrees Fahrenheit).  Full facepieces are available with nose cups that direct the warm and moist exhaled air through the exhalation valve without contacting the lens. These facepieces should provide satisfactory vision at temperatures as low as -32 degrees Centigrade (-25 degrees Fahrenheit).

At very low atmospheric temperatures, the exhalation valve of a respirator may freeze open or closed due to the presence of moisture. Dry respirable air should be used with an air-line respirator and with the type of SCBA that employs a cylinder of air when these devices are used in a low temperature atmosphere. The dew point of this breathing air should be appropriate to the temperature of the atmospheric air. High pressure connections on SCBA may leak because of metal contractions at low atmospheric temperature.

These connections should not be over tightened, since they may break when the apparatus is returned to an atmosphere at normal room temperature. Some air-line type supplied air respirators may be equipped with a device called a vortex tube to warm the air supplied to the respirator inlet covering of the respirator.

Emergency use respirators that are stored in low temperature environments may require special elastomeric components that will retain their elasticity at low temperatures (i.e., regulator diaphragms, gaskets, and breathing tubes). Facepieces stored in low temperature environments can become stiff and distorted to a degree that may prevent an adequate seal of the face to the facepiece. Special care will be used to prevent distortion of facepieces stored at low temperatures. Some SCBA models have cold temperature accessories that may be utilized to help overcome these problems. The manufacturer's instructions will be followed when utilizing these cold temperature accessories.

Respirator Use in High Temperature Environments

A person working in a high temperature environment is under stress. Wearing a respirator in such an environment applies additional stress on the person.  The additional stress, because of wearing a respirator in a high temperature environment, should be minimized by using a respirator having a low weight and offering low resistance to breathing. The air-line type supplied air respirator is recommended for use in a high temperature environment.  Air-line type supply air respirators equipped with a vortex tube to cool the air supplied to the respirator inlet covering will substantially reduce the temperature of the air supplied to the respirator.

Elastomeric components of respirators stored in high temperature environments may deteriorate at an accelerated rate and the facepiece may become permanently distorted.  Special care will be used to prevent facepiece distortion.  All such respirators will be inspected and maintained at frequency rate that will prevent the use of respirators with deteriorated elastomeric components.

Breathing Air & Oxygen for Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBAs) & Supplied Air Respirators (SARs)

Compressed gaseous or liquid oxygen will meet the requirements of the United States Pharmacopoeia for medical or breathing oxygen.

Chemically generated oxygen will meet the requirements of U.S. Department of Defense Military Specification MIL- E-83252 or Military Specification MIL-O-15633c.

Compressed gaseous air will meet at least the requirements of the specification for Type C - Grade D breathing air.

Compressed gaseous air may contain low concentrations of oil. If high-pressure oxygen passes through oil or grease- coated orifice, an explosion or fire may occur.  Therefore, compressed gaseous oxygen will not be used in supplied air respirators or in open circuit type self-contained breathing apparatus that have previously used compressed air.   A compressor will be constructed and situated so as to avoid entry of contaminated air into the air supply system and will be equipped with a suitable in line air purifying sorbent bed and filter to further assure breathing air quality.  If an oil lubricated compressor is used, it will be equipped with a high temperature alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm.