Contact:  Ellen McComb
Director of Environmental Health
and Safety
mccombe@kenyon.edu
Edited:  8/2/01

The purpose of the Kenyon College Respiratory Protection Program is to ensure that all employees who may be required to wear any type of respirator, as part of their job assignment, completely understand their proper use and selection.  Respirators will be used to control occupational diseases caused by breathing air contaminated with harmful dust, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smoke, sprays or vapors.  Because the use of a respirator could be a life or death matter, it is important that employees follow our guidelines.  Any changes or modification in this program must be approved by the Manager of Physical Plant.

The Manager of Mechanical Services will be responsible for administration and supervision of the respiratory protection program.  He/she may be contacted during normal working hours to address any questions or problems that may arise.  The guidelines in the Kenyon College Program will be based on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) standard 29CFR 1910.134.

In the Maintenance Department, employees in the following areas may be required to wear respirators due to the nature of their operations:

        1.  Personnel trained to perform asbestos abatement work.
        2.  Grounds Department personnel licensed in the use of chemicals
            and pesticides for grounds maintenance.
        3.  Custodial Department personnel licensed in the use of
            pesticides.
        4.  Painters.
        5.  Welders.

Employees performing duties in these areas will be trained and educated in accordance with the procedures outlined in the training section of this program.  Supervisors and department heads will be responsible for notifying the program administrator concerning any change of an employee's health status that may disqualify him/her from using a respirator, or any new or transferred employee who will need to be trained.

When choosing a respirator, a number of factors have to be taken into consideration.  Employees will be made aware that respirators do have their limitations and will not eliminate all hazards.  Employees will also be made aware that if the equipment is not properly fitted, maintained and kept in serviceable condition, a respirator may fail and over-exposure could occur.

Kenyon College will use the following criteria to select respirators for its employees:

         1.  Chemical and physical properties of the contaminant.
         2.  Characteristics of the hazards present in each operation
             performed.
         3.  Toxicity and concentration of the hazardous material.
         4.  Period of time respiratory protection may be needed.
         5.  Amount of oxygen present.
         6.  Nature and extent of work to be performed.
         7.  Respirator/protection factors and respirator fit.
         8.  Work rate and mobility required.
         9.  Location of hazardous material with respect to a safe area
             having respirable air.
        10.  Emergency or routine use.

If an employee, after having received a respirator, determines that there is a problem(s) with it, the job supervisor should be notified immediately.  A respiratory protection program can only be effective if all employees communicate to make it so.

Respirators are divided into two major classifications:
    1.  Air purifying respirators (APR's) remove contaminants by passing
        breathing air through a purify element.  Many APR models are
        available to protect against specific contaminants, but they all
        fall into two subclasses:

        (a)  Particulate APR's which employ a mechanical filter element.
        (b)  Gas and vapor APR's that utilize chemical sorbents contained
             in a cartridge or canister.

        Limitations to the applications of APR's are that they are specific
        for certain types of contaminants, so the identity of the hazardous
        agent must be known.  There are maximum concentration limits for
        exposure to many hazardous substances; this requires a knowledge of
        the ambient concentration of the contaminant, as well as the
        maximum use limit (MUL) of the respirator.  Since APR's
        only clean the air, ambient concentration of oxygen must be
        sufficient (>19.5%) for the user.

    2.  Air supplying respirators (ASR's) provide a substitute source of
        clean breathing air.  The respirable air is supplied to the worker
        from either a stationary source through a long hose or from a
        portable container.  The first type are called supplied air
        respirators (SAR's) and the latter are known as self-contained
        breathing apparatus (SCBA's).  These devices can be used regardless
        of the type of airborne contaminant or oxygen concentration.
        However, the contaminant concentration limits vary for the
        different types of SAR's, and the wearer must be aware of the
        limitations of his/her respirator.

The following chart presents a simplified version of characteristics and factors used for respirator selection:

    HAZARD                           RESPIRATOR

1.  Oxygen Deficiency.
        Immediately dangerous to      Any positive pressure SCBA.
        life and health (IDLH). *
                                      Combination positive pressure SRA
                                      with auxiliary self-contained air
                                      supply.

        Not                           Any positive pressure SCBA or
        IDLH.                         supplied air respirator.

2.  Gas and vapor contaminants
        IDLH.                         Positive pressure SCBA.

                                      Combination positive pressure SAR
                                      with auxiliary self-contained air
                                      supply.

        Not IDLH.                     Any positive pressure SAR, gas mask,
                                      or chemical cartridge respirator.

3.  Particulate contaminants          Any positive pressure SAR including
                                      abrasive blasting respirator,
                                      powered APR equipped with
                                      high efficiency filters, an air
                                      purifying respirator with a
                                      specific particulate filter.

4.  Gaseous and particulate
    contaminants.
        IDLH.                         Positive pressure SCBA.

                                      Combination positive pressure SAR
                                      with auxiliary self-contained air
                                      supply.

        Not IDLH.                     Any positive pressure SAR, gas mask,
                                      chemical cartridge respirator.

5.  Escape from contaminated          Any positive pressure SCBA, gas mask,
    atmosphere                        combination positive pressure SAR
                                      with escape SCBA.

6.  Fire fighting                      Any positive pressure SCBA.

*Note:  "Immediately dangerous to life and health" is any condition that poses either an immediate threat to life or health or an immediate threat of severe exposure to contaminants, such as radioactive materials, which are likely to have adverse delayed effects on health.

All employees required to use respiratory protective equipment will be instructed in the proper use of the type they will use.  Respirator training will be conducted by the program administrator or a qualified person designated by him.  As part of their training, employees will be given an opportunity to handle a respirator, wear it in normal air for a period of time to become familiar with it and practice adjusting it.  Employees who will be required to use respiratory protection equipment in atmospheres immediately dangerous to life or health, will be trained in rescue procedures.  It is important for users to know that improper respirator use, poor maintenance, or an improper fit, can cause acute or chronic diseases and possibly death from over-exposure to contaminants present in the air.

The respiratory protection training and education program will focus on explanation of the following:

    1.  Nature of respiratory hazards and what may happen if the respirator
        is not used properly.

    2.  Engineering and administrative controls being used and the need
        for the respirator as added protection.

    3.  Reason(s) for selection of a particular type of respirator.

    4.  Limitations of the selected respirator.

    5.  Methods of donning and removing the respirator and checking its fit
        and operation.

    6.  Proper use of the respirator.

    7.  Respirator maintenance and storage.

    8.  Proper methods for handling emergency situations.

Training will be performed at the time of an employee's initial work
assignment and will be updated on an as needed or yearly basis.

Because no one respirator fits everyone, it will be necessary to fit-test each employee required to use one.  We will provide each type in several sizes to assure proper fit for each employee.  All employees will receive fitting instructions, including demonstrations and practice with how to wear the respirator, how to adjust it and how to determine if it fits properly for the type(s) each is require to use.  Qualitative fit testing will be used to check for leaks in the face piece.  To assure proper protection, the face piece shall be checked for leaks by the wearer each time he/she puts on the respirator.

Respirator protection depends on the equipment being used.  When a good face seal is not achieved, a respirator shall not be worn.  Conditions that could prevent a good face seal are:

    1.  Growth of beard or sideburns.
    2.  A skull cap that projects under the face piece.
    3.  Absence of one or both dentures.
    4.  Temple pieces of glasses.

For employees who have corrective eyeglasses and are required to wear respirators, special respirators with a mounting for corrective lenses inside of a full face piece respirator will be provided.  The wearing of contact lenses in a contaminated atmosphere with a respirator will not be allowed.

Respiratory equipment must be properly maintained to retain its original effectiveness.  Our maintenance program will include the following:

Inspection for defects (including a leak check)--All respirators must be
inspected routinely before and after each use.  The inspection check will cover tightness of connections, condition of the face pieces, headbands, valves, connecting tubes and canisters.  Rubber or elastomer parts shall be inspected for pliability and signs of deterioration.  These parts can be kept pliable and flexible and prevent the rubber or plastic from forming into an abnormal shape by stretching and manipulating these parts with a massaging action.  Emergency use respirators will be inspected after each use by the persons using them, or at least monthly by the supervisor of the area in which they are used.

A record of inspection dates and findings will be kept in the program administrator's office and will be made available to employees upon request.

SCBA's shall be inspected monthly by a person designated by the program administrator.  Air and oxygen cylinders will be fully charged according to the manufacturers instructions.  Employees will be taught to determine when the regulator and warning devices are functioning properly.

Cleaning and disinfecting--Respirators will be cleaned and disinfected
before they are issued and after each use.  Respirators can be cleaned in a mild detergent solution and disinfected by immersion in a sanitizing solution specially provided for that purpose.  Strong cleaning and sanitizing agents, along with many solvents can damage rubber or elastomer respirator parts.

Repairs--All repairs will be made by experienced and trained personnel, with
parts designed for each particular respirator.  No attempt will be made to repair or replace components or make adjustments beyond the manufacturers recommendations.  Reducing or admission valves or regulators will be returned to the manufacturer or to a trained technician for adjustments or repairs.

Storage--Respirators will be stored to protect against dust, sunlight, heat,
extreme cold, excessive moisture or damaging chemicals.  Respirators placed at stations and work areas for emergency use will be quickly assessable at all times and will be stored in compartments built for that purpose.  Respirators will not be stored in lockers, by work stations or in tool boxes, unless they are in carrying cases or plastic bags.  Storage will be in such a way that the face piece and exhalation valve will rest in a normal position and function will not be impaired.
 

No employees will be permitted to use a respirator unless it has been determined by a doctor that they are physically able to perform the assigned work while using the assigned respirator.  The program administrator will provide the examining doctor with pertinent data and guidelines regarding the requirements of each employee's working environment in order to get a proper determination regarding the individual's physical ability to use the required types of respiratory equipment.  Employees required to wear a respirator in the normal performance of their duties will have their medical status reviewed annually.

Providing respiratory protection to our employees is an important part of our operation.  To ensure the best program possible, Kenyon College will implement a surveillance program to monitor conditions in the different work areas and determine the degree of employee exposure.  We will also monitor the amount of stress placed on employees when using respiratory equipment.  Regular spot inspections will be made to evaluate the continued effectiveness of the program, and records of the inspections will be maintained by the program administrator.