Gas and Vapor Respirator Change Schedules

Employers must provide a respirator cartridge change schedule. It is part of the written respirator program, which states how often cartridges should be replaced and what information was relied upon to make this judgment.

Before setting a respirator change schedule, employers must know what chemicals employees will be exposed to (and know the quantities of chemical exposure). After determining this, OSHA suggests employers follow these three ways of estimating a cartridge's service life:

1. Conduct experimental tests. Rather than rely upon assumptions, rely upon the scientific evidence of environmental tests. This is the most reliable method and is recommended for environments with multiple contaminants. On its website, OSHA provides details regarding testing.
2. Use the manufacturer's recommendations. Rely upon the manufacturer's knowledge of its products. This is only possible if the manufacturer provides a recommendation. Be aware that OSHA warns these recommendations "may not account for all workplace user factors adequately." On its website, OSHA provides details regarding manufacturer recommendations.
3. Use a math model. NIOSH offers the MultiVapor™ Version 2.2.3 Application for employers to calculate the service life of cartridges. This works best with single contaminate situations and is not as accurate as conducting experimental tests. On its website, OSHA provides a link to the MultiVapor Version Application: you can also visit the CDC site's webpage regarding this tool.

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