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Annex I - General CSEPP Respiratory Protection Program

I. Purpose

This guideline provides information and assistance in the proper selection, use and care of respiratory protection. The purpose of the Guideline is to ensure that respirators are properly selected and used to provide adequate protection for emergency responders from airborne health hazards associated with operations at the Umatilla Chemical Weapons Depot. The primary airborne hazard of concern is potential exposures to HD (Mustard Agent).

II: Scope

This Guideline applies to all Department of Health Services operations and all uses of respirators including NIOSH approved disposable respirators (e.g., "dust masks"), and voluntary use of respirators. Voluntary respirator users are included in the full scope of this program. This Guideline will serve as the written Respiratory Protection Program.

III: References

The following references contain supporting information for the Guideline:

  • OSHA Respirator Standards; 29 CFR 1910.134 and CCR Title 8 Section 5144
  • Compressed Gas Association, Commodity Specification for Air, G-7.1
  • ANSI Z88.2, Respiratory Protection, 1992
  • ANSI Z88.6
  • Breathing Air Systems 

IV: Definitions

  • Acute Exposure Guideline Level (AEGL) - Estimated Concentrations At Which Most People--Including Sensitive Individuals Such As Old, Sick, Or Very Young People--Will Begin To Experience Health Effects If They Are Exposed To A Toxic Chemical For A Specific Length Of Time (Duration).
  • Air-Purifying Respirator (APR) - A Respirator Equipped With Filtering Media Which Filters The Contaminated Air Outside The Face Piece To Remove Specific Gases, Vapors, And Particulate Matter Before Entering The Inside Of The Face Piece For Breathing.
  • Approved Respirator - A Respirator That Has Been Approved By Niosh Or Msha For Use As Rpe
  • Dust Mask – Filtering Face Piece – An Air Purifying Respirator With A Filter As An Integral Part Of The Face Piece With The Entire Face Piece Comprised Of The Filter Medium.
  • Hooded Respirator – Respiratory Protection That Covers The Entire Head And Shoulders And Maintains A Positive Pressure.
  • Oxygen Deficient Atmosphere - Any Atmosphere That Contains Less Than 19.5% Oxygen By Volume. Normal Levels Of Oxygen Are 21% By Volume.
  • Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) - The Maximum Legal Concentration That An Employee Can Be Exposed To Under Osha Regulations. Ref. 29 Cfr 1910.1000
  • Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) - An Apr Which Uses A Power Source To Operate A Air Blower That Passes Air Across The Air-Cleansing Element (Filtering Media) To Supply Purified Air To The Face Piece. A Niosh-Msha Certified Papr Must Provide At Least 4 Cubic Feet/Minute (Cfm) To A Tight-Fitting Face Piece And At Least 6 Cfm To A Loose-Fitting Helmet Or Hood.
  • Pressure Demand - An Air Supplied Respirator Mode That Provides A Positive Pressure During Both The Inhalation And Exhalation, Delivering Greater Than 4 Cfm. Pressure Demand Must Be The Mode Of Choice When Entering An Atmosphere With Unknown Contaminant Levels.
  • Program Administrator - A Person Who Oversees The Program And Is Qualified By Appropriate Training Or Experience That Is Commensurate With The Complexity Of The Program. This Role May Best Be Filled Either The Csepp Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (Dhs) Or Medical Preparedness Officer.
  • Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) - A Respiratory Protective Device Which Supplies Grade D Breathing Air To The Wearer From A Cylinder Worn On The Back, In The Pressure Demand Mode.
  • Qualitative Fit Testing – A Pass/Fail Test Assessing The Adequacy Of A Respirator That Relies On An Individual’S Response To A Test Agent.
  • Quantitative Fit Testing - An Assessment Of The Adequacy Of Respirator Fit By Numerically Measuring The Amount Of Leakage Into The Respirator.
  • Threshold Limit Value (TLV) - The Limit Of Acceptable Exposure Defined As The Lower Of The Appropriate State Standard, Federal Standard, Or American Conference Of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Value (Tlv). Department Of Health Services May Choose To Establish A Lower Limit Or Its Own Limit, If No Standard Exists.
  • Voluntary Respirator Use - Use in conditions where exposures are determined to be below the identified occupational exposure level (OEL), and the user still chooses to wear a respirator for comfort alone.

V: Program Requirements

A. Design Criteria

Respirators must meet a number of important design criteria to ensure adequate protection for users. These criteria are based upon regulatory requirements from OSHA. These criteria address the following:

  1. Classes of respirators available
  2. Regulatory approval of respirators
  3. Multiple sizes of face pieces for users
  4. Grade D quality breathing air
  5. Safety requirements for compressors

Appendix One of this Guideline contains detailed information on these design criteria. Proper selection of respirators must incorporate this information. The CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (DHS) should be contacted for assistance in selecting the correct respiratory protection for an operation based upon the design criteria in Appendix One.

B. Performance Criteria

1. Performance Criteria for Selection of Respirators

A number of performance criteria have been established for respiratory protection which must be considered for proper selection and use of respirators. These criteria include the following:

  1. Operational criteria on the atmosphere in the work environment, nature of the contaminants of concern, and exposure criteria.
  2. Limitations of respiratory protection by class of respirator.
  3. Protection provided by different types of respirators. This protection is defined in terms of the protection factor; i.e., the ratio of the concentration outside of the face piece to the concentration inside the face piece.

    Appendix Two contains detailed information on these performance criteria.

2. Performance Criteria for Proper Use of Respirators

a. Facial Hair

Facial hair cannot be present in areas of the face against which the seal with the respirator will be made. This may include side burns and beards. Facial hair can prevent a good seal and void the protection provided by the respirator. Long mustaches and beards can also interfere with the inhalation and exhalation valves on respirators. Users of respirators must be clean-shaven on all portions of the face where facial hair could interfere with the seal and proper operation of the respirator.

b. Good Fit

Users of respirators must obtain a good fit between the respirator face piece and their face. Because faces vary widely in terms of facial dimensions, it is usually not possible to obtain a good fit on all users with a single size of face piece. In order to ensure that users can obtain a good fit with a respirator, the following steps will be taken:

  • DHS will provide several face piece sizes so users can select the best fit.
  • If a good fit or comfort cannot be obtained, the CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (DHS) will try to fit the user with another approved respirator.

c. Interchanging of Respirator Parts

It is not acceptable to interchange parts from different manufacturers or replace parts for one model with parts from a different manufacturer. The NIOSH approval for the respirator is based upon the specific design and construction of the respirator at the time the model was evaluated by NIOSH. Changing parts will void this approval.

d. Specific Applications

Respirators are selected for use in specific applications based upon the design criteria and performance criteria described above and the nature of the operation in question. They should not be used for applications which have not been evaluated or for operations not intended when initially selected. Respirators used in the CSEPP program have been evaluated and approved for potential exposures to HD agent.

* MSA Ultraview, full-face respirators or 3M hooded respirators will be issued to 1st Responders and 1st Receivers participating in CSEPP.

e. Need for corrective lenses with Respirators

If users must wear corrective lenses, either eyeglasses, spectacle kits, or contact lenses may be acceptable options depending on the type of respirator. Information on spectacle kits (e.g., lens inserts in respirator face piece), can be obtained from the CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (DHS)

THE USE OF CONTACT LENSES WITH FULL FACE PIECE RESPIRATORS IS ALLOWED WHERE THE USER HAS SUCCESSFULLY WORN CONTACT LENSES BEFORE, AND PRACTICES WEARING THEM WITH THE RESPIRATOR.

RESPIRATOR CARTRIDGE SELECTION

RESPIRATORS THAT USE DETACHABLE FILTERING CARTRIDGES ARE DESIGNED SO A USER CAN INTERCHANGE FILTER MEDIUM SO THAT THE FACE PIECE CAN BE USED IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE CARTRIDGE MUST BE PROPERLY SELECTED FOR THE CONTAMINANT OF CONCERN. ORGANIC VAPOR CARTRIDGES WILL NOT PROTECT THE USER FROM HAZARDOUS PARTICULATES AND PARTICULATE FILTERS WILL NOT PROTECT THE USER FROM ORGANIC VAPORS. SOME CARTRIDGES ARE STACKED. STACKED CARTRIDGES CONSIST OF MULTIPLE TYPES ATTACHED TOGETHER TO REMOVE MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF CONTAMINATE.

THE CARTRIDGES SELECTED FOR USE BY CSEPP PERSONNEL ARE A STACKED CARTRIDGE THAT IS CAPABLE OF FILTERING OUT ACID GASES AND ORGANIC VAPORS AND PARTICULATES. THE CARTRIDGES ARE IDENTIFIED WITH A PURPLE AND YELLOW LABEL.

C. Procedures

1. Overall Selection and Use Process

The CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (DHS) should be contacted to provide assistance in the following areas:

  • Assessing the hazard. When appropriate, this may include performing chemical monitoring to measure the level of exposure received by the user to ensure the appropriate protection is afforded.
  • Assessing the need for respiratory protection.
  • Selecting the proper respiratory protection based upon the design criteria and performance criteria included in Appendices One and Two.
    1. All CSEPP operations will utilize MSA PAPR’s with TC-23C-1056 cartridges or 3M Hooded respirators with TC-23C-2071 cartridges.

2. PPE Hazard Assessment

The PPE hazard assessment is performed to identify the types of hazards present and the level of protection required. This assessment takes into account the following items:

  • Nature of the operation in terms of the length of exposure, how the exposure occurs and tasks performed by the users. Levels of exposure: When possible, this should be based upon measurements of the exposures received by users. In some cases, it may be possible to use other factors; e.g., odor threshold of the contaminant, experience with other similar operations.
  • Information on the contaminant; e.g., physical properties, chemical properties, odor threshold, etc.
  • CSEPP Personnel are issued a MSA or 3M powered air purifying respirator, butyl rubber gloves and boot covers and a CBRN protection suit consisting of a jacket and pants.

3. Obtaining a Respirator

Respirators are issued by the CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (DHS). Each person in the CSEPP program using a respirator must be medically authorized, trained and fit tested prior to a respirator being issued. Training and fit testing must be completed annually, as required by OSHA regulations.

4. Medical Exam

Each user of a respirator must be medically evaluated bi-annually to verify that he/she is medically capable of using and wearing the respirator without adverse health effects. This evaluation is administered by a medical director. The medical director determines what physiological and psychological conditions are pertinent for wearing of different types of respirators. Authorization from the medical director must be received for each user, along with any limitations on use, before the user can be assigned or use a respirator.

* DHS will utilize Health Options; Dr. Fulper to medically evaluate 1st Responders and 1st Receivers identified in CSEPP.

Note: Users must complete health surveillance checklists bi-annually. If indicated by the responses, physical assessment and testing may be performed.

5. Fit Testing for Respirators

Fit testing consists of checking for leakage around the respirator’s face piece to face seal using a safe test atmosphere. This is performed while the user is wearing either the actual respirator to be used during the operation of concern, or the same make/model/type of respirator to be used. Fit testing shall be performed for all tight-fitting respirators, including air line and SCBA face pieces, and must use an OSHA acceptable protocol.

The fit testing must be performed annually, usually as part of the annual training (see Section D). The user can only be assigned models on which he/she has successfully been fit tested. Information on the acceptable types of models determined for each user will be documented in DHS employee files.

DHS will utilize:

  • Quantitative fit testing

Quantitative fit testing is based upon measuring the concentration inside and outside of the respirator in order to determine the level of protection provided.

Positive-pressure respirators, including full-face piece respirators ( i.e. PAPR’s, or SCBA’s) will be fit tested in the negative pressure mode by using either qualitative or quantitative methods.

When quantitative fit testing is used to fit test a tight fitting, full-face piece negative pressure respirator, a fit factor of 500 or greater is required. See Table I below to illustrate this point.

Table I. Fit factors and assigned protection factors for various respirators.
Type of respirator mode of operation required fit factor when using quantitative fit testing Assigned protection factor
MSA full-face negative pressure 500 100

6. Interior Structural Firefighting

  1. At least two employees must enter an IDLH atmosphere and remain in visual or voice contact with one another at all times;
  2. At least two employees must be located outside the IDLH atmosphere; Dressed in like PPE as interior crew and in radio contact.
  3. All firefighters engaged in interior structural firefighting use SCBAs.
    1.One of the two firefighters located outside the IDLH atmosphere may be assigned to an additional role, such as incident commander in charge of the emergency or Safety Officer, so long as this individual is able to perform assistance or rescue activities without jeopardizing the safety or health of any firefighter working at the incident.

7. Maintenance/Inspection of Respirators

A. General

Respiratory Protection must be properly inspected, cleaned and maintained, per manufacturer’s recommendations, each day the respirator is used. Face pieces should be inspected to ensure that all of the parts are present and the face piece is not damaged.

DHS respirators issued for the exclusive use of a single user shall be cleaned and disinfected as often as necessary to be maintained in a sanitary condition. Respirators issued to more than one user shall be cleaned and disinfected before being worn by different individuals.

  • Cleaning of the respirator face piece shall be done in warm water with a mild detergent or cleaner. Isopropyl or other alcohol wipes are not to be used for cleaning of respirator face pieces. They degrade the materials used for the face pieces, and do not act as a disinfectant.
  • If the cleaner does not contain a disinfecting agent, the face piece shall be immersed in a separate disinfecting agent (e.g. 1:20 bleach solution).
  • The face piece shall be rinsed thoroughly in warm water. It is important to remove all cleaning and disinfecting agents to avoid skin irritation (dermatitis).
  • The face piece shall be air-dried or hand dried with a clean lint-free cloth.
  • Alternative cleaning procedures recommended by the manufacturer of the respirators may be used as long as they are at least as effective as the procedures summarized here. Other respirator components, such as supplied air respirator regulators, shall be cleaned according to manufacturer’s recommendation.
  • Disinfectant products designed specifically for respirator face pieces are commercially available from safety supply vendors carrying respiratory protection.
  • Cartridges must be removed before cleaning, since they will be damaged by water. APR filter /chemical cartridges must be replaced as required.
  • Air-purifying respirators and/or cartridges should be replaced on a periodic basis. The CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (DHS) will determine a schedule for changing filter or cartridge elements based on data on deficient atmospheres.

B. SCBA’s

SCBA’s must be inspected on a monthly basis and a written record of the inspection will be kept and readily available. The record indicates the date, identification number of the SCBA, and the inspector’s name. This inspection should address the following items to ensure they are in good working order:

  • Face piece
  • Head straps
  • Exhalation valve
  • Breathing hose
  • Harness
  • Cylinder - hydrostatic testing required every 5 years (for steel and aluminum); every 3 years (for composite cylinders).
  • System tests for pressure alarms, cylinder pressure and valve operation

C. Training

DHS users of respirators must receive training on an annual basis on the following:

  • An opportunity to handle the respirator;
  • Proper fitting, including demonstrations and practice in wearing, adjusting and determining the fit of the respirator;
  • Test of face piece-to-face seal, for negative pressure respirators;
  • A familiarization period of wearing the respirator in normal air;
  • Wearing the respirator in a test atmosphere, for negative pressure respirators;
  • Instruction in the nature of the hazard, whether acute, chronic, or both, and potential health effects;
  • Explanation of why other methods of controlling air contaminant exposure are not immediately feasible;
  • Discussion of why this is the proper type of respirator for a particular purpose;
  • Discussion of the respirator's capabilities and limitations;
  • Instruction, training and actual use of the respirator (especially one for emergency use), and close, frequent supervision to ensure that it continues to be used properly;
  • Storage procedures
  • Basic program - availability of and access to RPE
  • Classroom and field training to recognize and cope with emergency situations; and
  • Other special training as needed.

D. Documentation

The following aspects of the Respiratory Protection Program provide documentation of the program:

  1. Medical authorization to use respirator.
  2. Annual Fit testing records.
  3. Type of respirator assigned to each user (model, brand, etc.).
  4. Records of inspection of SCBA equipment (maintain with SCBA).
  5. Training information presented to users (e.g., copies of the overheads or an outline of the topics discussed).
  6. Annual training records.
  7. Documentation of inspection, maintenance, cleaning for all respirators.
  8. Yearly audit reports.

E. Self Audit of the Program

An inspection of the Program should be performed at least annually. A checklist which can be used for this inspection by the CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (DHS) is included with this Guideline.

VI. Responsibilities

A. Users

  • Use the respirator correctly in accordance with the training.
  • Maintain all non-disposable respirators by cleaning after each use, and storing in designated location.
  • Report problems to supervisor.
  • Maintain clean shaven face in areas where the face piece seals.
  • Inspect the respirator and perform the applicable pressure fit tests each time before using the respirator.
  • Attend training

B. CSEPP Personal Protective Equipment Coordinator (DHS)

  • Initiate PPE hazard assessment and selection of CSEPP respirators as described in the Respiratory Protection Program.
  • Schedule CSEPP respirator users for annual training, medical exam and fit testing.
  • Ensure that users do not use CSEPP respirators before successfully completing the steps in the previous line item.
  • Identify areas for storage of respiratory protection.
  • Perform self-audit on periodic basis.
  • Issue approved CSEPP respirators ONLY to certified users.
  • Be trained to understand the importance of respirator part compatibility and
  • The problems associated with incorrect cartridge issuance.
  • Maintain adequate supply of required respirators, in all necessary sizes

    • .

  • Provide assistance in setting up a CSEPP Respiratory Protection Program including the proper selection, use of respirators and in the establishment of training, fit testing and maintenance programs.
  • Document the selection of the respirator based upon the hazards and the work environment.
  • Coordinate the medical exams for each user of CSEPP respirators.
  • Perform yearly inspections to verify that an effective Program is in place.

C. Fire Chiefs

  • Verify that a Respiratory Protection Program has been established for operations requiring the use of CSEPP respirators.
  • Verify that a Respiratory Protection Program has been established for the operations requiring the use of SCBA’s for firefighting.
  • Maintain adequate supply of required respirators, in all necessary sizes.

D. Individual Fire Departments

  • Inspect SCBA’s on a monthly basis
  • Maintain documentation of these inspections.

E. Program Administrator

  • Oversee the implementation of the CSEPP Respiratory Protection Program
  • Conduct evaluations of the program’s effectiveness.
  • Approve any changes, additions, or deletions to the CSEPP Respiratory Protection Program