Respiratory Protection

A respirator is a protective facepiece, hood, or helmet that is designed to protect the wearer against a variety of harmful airborne agents.

To select the correct respirator for protection against particulates, the following conditions must be known:

• The identity and concentration of the contaminants in the workplace air
• The PEL for each contaminant
• The hazard ratio (HR), which is the airborne particulate concentration divided by the exposure limit.
• The assigned protection factor (APF), the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class of respirators is expected to provide (the APF should be greater than the HR)
• The immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) concentration, including oxygen deficiency. Immediately dangerous to life or health is explained as exposure to airborne contaminants that is likely to cause death or immediate negative health effects.
• Any service life information available for combination cartridges or canisters

To learn more about Cadmium Safety visit our Cadmium Safety Online Training web page.