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. Respiratory hazards can exist in various forms at general industry worksites. These forms include gases, vapors, dusts, mists, fumes, smoke, sprays, and fog. Some of these substances can make you sick or even kill you if you breathe them in. Examples of respiratory hazards in general industry include but are not limited to the following:

• Dusts, such as those found when adding dry ingredients to a mixture
• Metal fumes from welding, cutting, and smelting metals
• Solvent vapors from spray coatings, adhesives, paints, and cleaning solvents
• Infectious agents
• Chemical hazards, such as chlorine gas and anhydrous ammonia in chemical processing and use operations
• Sensitizing vapors and dusts, such as isocyanates, certain epoxies, and beryllium
• Oxygen deficiency
• Pharmaceuticals during the production of prescription drugs

To learn more about Industrial Chemical Hazards visit our Industrial Chemical Hazards & Toxic Substances Online Training web page.