Respiratory Protection Equipment

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

In order to select the correct respirator for protection against particulates, workers and employers must have a good understanding of the following conditions:

• The identity and concentration of the particulates in the workplace air
• The MSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for each contaminant
• The hazard ratio (HR) (that is, the airborne particulate concentration divided by the exposure limit)
• The assigned protection factor (APF) for the class of respirator (the APF should be greater than the HR)
• The IDLH concentration, including oxygen deficiency
• Any service life information available for combination cartridges or canisters

To learn more about MSHA Part 48 training requirements visit our MSHA Part 48 Subpart B Surface Mining Online Training web page.