Respiratory Protection Monitoring

Employers must remember that worksites are constantly changing. Therefore, new hazards may develop at any time.

To protect employees from these hazards, employers must constantly and vigilantly survey work area conditions, the degree of worker exposure, and levels of workers stress. They must keep in mind work rates, environmental conditions, and how wearing a respirator is a physiological burden for workers.

Among other factors, employers should continually monitor the following, all of which can affect the concentration of a hazardous (breathable) substance:

• Changes in operating procedures
• Temperature
• Air movement
• Humidity
• Work practices

For situations with potentially or confirmed IDLH environments, employers must place one or more employees outside of the hazardous area environment. The responsibility of this employee (or these employees) is to "keep visual, voice, or signal line communication with employees in the IDLH atmosphere."

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