Respiratory Safety Training

This course consists of 3 safety topics.  They are: 

1. Respiratory Protection 
• Employees who are expected to wear a respiratory must be trained in respiratory hazards to which he/she may be exposed, proper use the respirator, any limitations on its use and maintenance of the respirator. 
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2. Portable fire extinguisher 
• Employees who are expected to use portable fire extinguishers must be provided with "hands on" training in the use of the fire extinguishing equipment. 
3. First Aid/CPR/AED 
• Due to the nature of the work, first aid/CPR/AED training assures that adequate first aid is available in the critical minutes between the occurrence of an injury and the availability of hospital care for the injured employee. 

To wear a respirator, employees must be found medically fit to wear a respirator on the job.  A medical evaluation will be conducted.  The first part of the medical evaluation is the medical questionnaire (completed prior to the course).  The second part of the medical evaluation is a pulmonary function test.  During the course, each employee will be given a pulmonary function test followed by a “fit test” for his/her respirator to ensure he/she can obtain a good seal. 

Completed medical questionnaire. 

Personnel who have facial hair that comes between the sealing surface of the facepiece and the face of the wearer are prohibited from wearing tight-fitting respirators . Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator, such as beards, sideburns, or some mustaches, will interfere with respirators that rely on a tight facepiece seal to achieve maximum protection. 

Research tells us that the presence of facial hair under the sealing surface causes 20 to 1000 times more leakage compared to clean-shaven individuals. Gases, vapors, and particles in the air will take the path of least resistance and bypass the part of the respirator that captures or filters hazards out.  Some studies have shown that even a day or two of stubble can begin to reduce protection.

[Source:  DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2018-129, Filtering out Confusion_ Frequently Asked Questions about Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing