Step 1 - Assign a Specific Person to Be the Administrator

The respiratory protection program at your facility should be planned and designed by a knowledgeable and responsible person or team of people. The Respiratory Protection Standard (Title 8 CCR Section 5144) requires that a facility designates one person to be the Respiratory Program Administrator (RPA). According to the standards, the RPA must be "suitably trained." The RPA should have the following qualifications:

• Be knowledgeable about the principles of respiratory protection
• Be informed about the requirements of the Cal/OSHA standards related to respiratory protection
• Be a health and safety professional

If the RPA at a facility does not meet these qualifications, he or she should undertake additional training to ensure satisfactory execution of the duties required by this role.

If other people have important responsibilities related to the development of the respiratory protection plan, their names and roles should be listed in the written plan after the name of the RPA.

When ATDs are present in a healthcare facility, the program administrator is called a Plan Administrator. This person has a similar role to that of the RPA.

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