Elimination, Reduction, & Control of Respiratory Hazards

Protecting healthcare workers from respiratory hazards involves a three-prong approach, as follows:

• Elimination and reduction of respiratory hazards in the workplace
• Mandated use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent exposure
• Development and implementation of a respiratory protection program

The best approach to protect the respiratory health of workers is always to eliminate the sources of respiratory hazards. When it is not possible to entirely eliminate a respiratory hazard, facilities must mandate employees to wear respirators. As we discussed earlier, to ensure that employers successfully execute this mandate, the Cal/OSHA has established respiratory protection standards to which employers must adhere. To comply with these standards, employers must develop and implement a respiratory protection program. Now, let us take a closer look at each of these approaches.

To learn more about Healthcare Respiratory Protection visit our Cal/OSHA Healthcare Respiratory Protection Safety Online Training web page.