Respiratory protection plan

Respirators prevent the inhalation of harmful airborne substances and provide fresh air in oxygen-deficient environments. An effective respiratory protection plan must address the following (1) hazards encountered, (2) type and degree of protection needed, (3) medical evaluation for respirator usage, (4) selection and fit requirements, (5) training on use and care, and (6) methods to ensure continued effectiveness. 

The first two control levels minimize the number of areas in which exposure to M. tuberculosis might occur and, therefore, minimize the number of persons exposed. These control levels also reduce, but do not eliminate, the risk for exposure in the limited areas in which exposure can still occur. Because persons entering these areas might be exposed to M. tuberculosis, the third level of the hierarchy is the use of respiratory protective equipment in situations that pose a high risk for exposure. Use of respiratory protection can further reduce the risk for exposure from droplet nuclei expelled into the air from a patient with infectious TB disease. Take the following measures to reduce the risk of exposure (1) implement a respiratory protection plan, (2) train employees on respiratory protection, and (3) educate patients about respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette procedures. 

In general, the respiratory protection plan should be evaluated for each job or at least annually, with program adjustments, as appropriate, made to reflect the evaluation results. Functions can be separated into administration and operation. 

The utility should have a respiratory protection plan and may be required to have one depending on applicable regulations. A respiratory protection plan includes... 

The purpose of the tuberculosis control plan is to prevent the transmission of tuberculosis (TB), which occurs when an individual inhales a droplet that contains Mycohacterium tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis is aerosolized when an infected individual sneezes, speaks, or coughs. Transmission of TB and exposure to TB can be greatly diminished with early identification and isolation of patients at risk, environmental controls, appropriate use of respiratory protection equipment, education of laboratory employees, and when necessary early initiation of therapy. 

This book addresses fundamental workplace safety topics such as respiratory protection, personal sampling, ventilation, tire and life safety, and emergency planning and Incident management. In addition, hazardous waste topics are discussed Inducting waste treatment and disposal, ground water and sotis, air quality, and facility assessment. 

IDLH is intended to provide guidance for determining respiratory protection requirements in occupational environments it is not necessarily suitable for emergency planning and risk assessment. However, IDLH information is often the only form of exposure information available. IDLH values are often found in MSDS and in standard references. Some practitioners use a value of lDLH/10 as a working number for defining acceptable risk. 

Safety professionals should also be aware that OSHA has announced an airborne infectious disease rule that may impact a substantial number of workplaces. This proposed rule is modeled after the Cal-OSHA aerosol transmissible disease rule, which required respiratory protection, fit testing, disease exposure control plans, medical surveillance, and communication procedures, among other requirements. 

SNL maintains plans and procedures, as described in the RPPM (SNL 1998a), to control personnel radiation exposures. These include administrative limits, radiological practices, dosimetry, and respiratory protection. The SNUNM radiation-protection program for on-site exposures of personnel is described in the SNL RPPM. Radiation exposures to workers in special categories, such as those who have declared pregnancy and those who receive higher doses in emergency situations are strictly limited and monitored. 

The employer will provide proper personal protective equipment, skin testing, education, and training provided at no cost to employees. Employees are responsible for the information contained in this plan and are expected to wear proper respiratory protection when directed and trained by the employer. Prevention of TB exposnre will be based on adherence to the recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The employer will ensure that employees use provided guidelines for patient assessment and evaluation of TB. 

Radiation protection control is one of most important considerations in the program. Dose equivalent rate and radioactive concentration are measured daily and reported by health physicists. Each work plan is made on the basis of this measurement and work areas are classified into various categories. For example, radioactive contamination is classified into three groups C-l(less than 4 Bq/cm ), C-2(4 to 40 Bq/cm and C-3(more than 40 Bq/cm ). Work conditions, such as respiratory protection and personal protective clothing, are then decided according to this categorization. Data on radiological safety... 

The next bulleted item was respiratory protection. While removing USTs, there may be a potential to use a respirator. The training objective might be to determine under what circumstances a respirator would be used and possibly how to use it. If the instructor plans on fit testing the attendees, this should be made clear before the beginning of the class so that the participants will have their respirators with them. If this is the case, the instructor should state this as a training objective and then include two to six questions about this subject for the test at the end of the course. 

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