Gas & Vapors Respirator Change Schedules

Employers must provide a respirator cartridge change schedule. It is part of the written respirator program (which you will learn about later in this course). The respirator program will state how often cartridges should be replaced. It will also include what information was relied upon to make this judgment (for example, which source, such as NIOSH, was consulted).

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.
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."
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 option #1.

OSHA provides details regarding testing and manufacturing recommendations on its website, as well as a link to the CDC's MultiVapor Version Application.

To learn more about Respiratory Protection visit our Respiratory Protection Online Training web page.