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Respirators will be worn according to the Respiratory Protective Equipment Code of Practice outlines, as required by a specific hazard, and/or as identified in a specific MSDS.  The following Code of Practice will provide direction in the selection, maintenance and use of the required RPE.

Every effort must be made to develop work methods that control or eliminate respiratory hazards. When such hazards cannot be controlled or eliminated, RPE MUST be utilized.

Regulations

OH&S Legislation requires that appropriate Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) by provided by the employer and worn when a worker is, or may be exposed to an "Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health" (IDLH) atmosphere, when oxygen concentration drops below 19.5% or when an air borne contaminant exceeds the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL).  OEL's are identified by substance / chemical in the Saskatchewan Occupational Health & Safety Regulation.  Other regulatory agencies that regulate the use and care of RPE include:

•CSA Standard Z94.4-02, Selection, Use and Care of Respirators.

•CSA Standard Z180.1-00, Compressed Breathing Air and Systems.

Respiratory Protection Program

Management will ensure that appropriate RPE is available to all workers exposed to respiratory hazards in their work.  The Respirators used must have a NIOSH approval.

Management is responsible for preparing and implementing, in consultation with users, a written respiratory protection program, including all of the following listed elements.  Written procedures, as appropriate, shall also be included.

Roles and Responsibilities

Respirator User

•In the case of a tight – fitting face piece, maintain their required clean-shaven condition and refrain from having any object or material that would interfere with the seal or operation of the respirator.

•Check that the respirator is clean and in good operating condition prior to each use.

•Perform a pressure seal-check after each use of a tight fitting respirator.

•Remove from service any respirator that is determined to be defective, and report it to your immediate supervisor.

•Report to your immediate supervisor any condition or change that impact on their ability to use a respirator safely, and

•Use the respirator in accordance with the written instructions and training received.

Senior Company Representative

•Ensure that health screening, fit testing, and training are completed prior to assigning a user any task that requires the use of a respirator.

•Ensure that respirators are cleaned, sanitized, inspected, maintained, repaired, and stored in accordance with written instructions and manufacturer’s recommendations.

•Ensure that the respirator is used in accordance with instructions, the training received, and the safe operating procedures established for the workplace (manage work tasks that have been identified as requiring the use of a respirator).

•In the case of a tight fitting face piece, ensure that respirator users maintain their required clean-shaven condition, and that they do not have any object or material that would interfere with the seal or operation of the respirator.

•Provide details on the type of respirator selected and the anticipated working conditions to the health care professional conducting the medical assessment of a respirator user.

•Notify Management of respirator user’s concerns, changes in process, equipment, or operating procedures that have an impact on environmental conditions, and respiratory protection requirements.

Hazard Assessment

A hazard assessment of the work area must be performed by a qualified person to determine the respiratory hazards present and to assist in the selection of an appropriate respirator where required.  The nature of the hazard shall be determined as follows:

•Identify what contaminant(s) may be present in the workplace.

•Measure or estimate the concentration of the contaminant(s).

•Determine if the atmosphere is potentially oxygen-deficient.

•Identify an appropriate occupational exposure limit for each airborne contaminant.

•Define if an IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health) atmosphere is present.

•Define if the contaminant can be absorbed through, or is irritating to the skin or eyes.

Updated assessments shall be completed when the nature of the hazard(s) determined above changes.

Selection of Respirators

The person selecting the respirators must review the assessments of respiratory hazards identified in the workplace and select the accepted respirators suitable for protection against those hazards.  As well, they must notify Management of changes in regulatory criteria, consensus standards, and the technological developments that may impact the selection of respirators.

Air Purifying Respirators

•Air purifying respirators are devices for filtering or purifying the air that a worker breathes.  These respirators must never be used in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, in an atmosphere which is immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) or in any area where atmospheric contaminant concentrations exceed the manufacturer's specified maximum limit.

•There are two types of air-purifying respirators:

▪Mechanical Filter Respirators: used for protection against airborne particulate matter such as dusts, mists, metal fumes, smoke;

▪Chemical Cartridge Respirators: used for protection against low concentrations of organic vapours and gases, alkaline and acid gases, mercury vapours, pesticides, paint vapours and mists or mixtures of any of these.

Self-contained and Supplied Air Breathing Apparatus

•Only positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and positive pressure supplied air breathing apparatus (SABA) are approved for use in environments that are immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) or in an oxygen deficient atmosphere (less than 19.5% oxygen).

•The quality of compressed breathing air shall be checked at least annually to ensure:

▪That it meets Table 1, CSA Standard Z-180.1-00 Compressed Breathing Air Systems for Compressed Breathing.

▪Air Purity requirements, and

▪That it does not contain a substance in a concentration that exceeds ten percent of its occupational exposure limit.

•The following additional standards apply to positive pressure SABA:

▪All masks shall be equipped with a full face piece complete with a nose cup and an "egress" escape cylinder;

▪All breathing air hoses shall be a minimum of 6 mm (1/4 in.) internal diameter with quick connect fittings;

▪Breathing air lines (hoses) shall not exceed 90 metres (300 ft.) in length or a lesser length if specified by the manufacturer;

▪Breathing air hoses shall be hydrocarbon and chemical resistant, non-kinking, used only for breathing air and capable of withstanding a minimum of 1725 kPag (250 psig) internal pressure.

Respirator Fit Testing

Workers who are required to wear respirators as a part of their job must be fit tested to ensure the respirator they will wear will provide the required protection factor.  The purpose of the fit test is to identify individuals who cannot achieve a proper face piece-to-face seal prior to the worker using the respiratory equipment in an environment where the maximum attainable protection factor for the respirator is required.

One generally accepted method of testing respirators and breathing apparatus for proper fit is the Qualitative Fit Test.  The Fit Test consists of exposing the respirator wearer to an environment of banana oil.  If the wearer detects the odour, a proper fit has not been attained.

A health screening will be done on anyone requiring a fit test. Upon successful completion as per CSA Std. Z 94.4 –02 Selection & Care of Respirators the fit test will continue.

Fit tests are required for all field workers who may be required to use a respirator.  Written records of all fit tests shall be kept on the employee’s file as long as they work for Power Tech Industries Ltd..

The fit tester will have training as per the training Matrix CSA standard Z 94.4 –02.

Face piece-to-Face Seal

Workers who may have to wear a respirator shall be clean shaven where the face piece seals to the skin.

Respirators, requiring a tight fit in order to perform effectively, shall not be worn when an effective seal to the face cannot be achieved and maintained.

The user of a respirator shall ensure that the respirator is in proper operating condition prior to each use and shall check the seal of the face piece immediately after donning the respirator.

The field face piece-to-face seal check is a negative pressure test.  It consists of closing off the inlet with the palm of the hand, by replacing the seals over the cartridge(s) or by shutting off the SCBA air supply, inhaling gently to slightly collapse the face piece and holding the breath for a few seconds.  If the face piece remains collapsed and no inward leakage is detected, the respirator fit is adequate.

The negative pressure test should be performed prior to every time a mask is used.

Training

Management must ensure that the person(s) using the RPE defined in this standard are qualified to perform their duties.  Each person fulfilling a defined role should understand how his/her role relates to the other defined roles, as there will be a requirement for communication with the workers fulfilling other roles.

The selection process includes a detailed review of workplace conditions, hazardous materials and exposures, and relevant standards, in order to specify a range of appropriate respirator options.

As part of fit testing and prior to the use of RPE, physiological or psychological conditions that may affect safe RPE use should be evaluated and alternate precautions / considerations taken.

An adequate general knowledge is required in order to use and maintain any piece of RPE.  General knowledge includes a basic understanding of the respiratory protection program including:

•The local policies and procedures.

•The respiratory hazards encountered in the workplace, their potential health effects, and the means to control them.

•The rationale used to determine which respirator to select.

•Where to find information concerning RPE, and

•The procedures to follow in case of an emergency.

The worker must understand the restrictions, cautions, warnings, and prohibitions imposed by the manufacturer, testing and certification agencies, regulatory authorities, and the employer on the use, care, and maintenance of their designated RPE.

Records of all training are to be kept on file regarding the type of training that each worker has received, and the dates when training occurred.  Management shall ensure that training records are kept for at least the duration of employment of the worker trained.

Management shall provide refresher training for each worker every two years.  In alternate years between training sessions, a review shall be performed to confirm that every RPE user remains qualified.  If the review indicates that a user requires refresher training, it shall be provided.

Maintenance

Each worker shall ensure the serviceability of personally assigned RPE.  A program of maintenance and care shall include:

•Following the manufacturer’s specifications for maintenance, including annual recertification of any Company owned breathing apparatus by a certified agency.

•Maintaining breathing air cylinders fully charged at all times.  (Air supplies must be replenished after each use.)

•Testing the regulator and warning devices monthly in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended procedure to determine that they function properly.

•Checking the cylinders for damage and the date of the last hydrostatic test.

 

Inspection Procedures

All SCBA, SABA and air-purifying respirators shall be inspected as follows, before and after each use.

Examine the face piece for:

•Excessive dirt;

•Cracks, tears, holes or physical distortion from improper storage;

•Inflexibility of rubber face piece (stretch and knead to restore flexibility);

•Cracked or badly scratched lenses in full face pieces;

•Incorrectly mounted full face piece lenses, or broken / missing mounting clips;

•Cracked or broken air purifying element holder(s), badly worn threads or missing gaskets;

•Nose cup condition and proper attachment.

Examine the head straps and harness for:

•Breaks;

•Loss of elasticity;

•Broken or malfunctioning buckles and attachments;

•Excessively worn serrations on head harness which might permit slippage (full face pieces only).

Examine the exhalation valve for the following, after removing its cover:

•Foreign material such as detergent residue, dust particles or human hair under the valve seat;

•Cracks, tears or distortion in the valve material;

•Improper insertion of the valve body in the face piece;

•Cracks, breaks or chips in the valve body, particularly in the sealing surface;

•Missing or defective valve cover;

•Improper installation of the valve in the valve body.

Examine the regulator, gauges, hose and connections.

Examine the air-purifying element for:

•Incorrect cartridge filter for the hazard;

•Incorrect installation, loose connections, missing or worn gasket or cross threading in the holder;

•Expired shelf life of the cartridge;

•Cracks or dents in the outside case of the filter cartridge.

If the device has a corrugated breathing tube, examine it for:

•Broken or missing end connections;

•Missing gasket in end connection;

•Missing or loose hose clamps;

•Deterioration (stretches the tube and look for cracks).

Examine the front and back harness of SCBA for:

•Damage or wear to the cylinder holder which may prevent it being held in place;

•Broken harness straps for fastening.

Check condition of carrying cases and boxes.

Worn out or defective components (e.g. head bands, nose cups, cylinders, filters, cartridges) must be replaced using identical replacement parts and following manufacturer's instructions.  Repairs must be made by trained persons authorized by the manufacturer.  These repairs must be recorded in the equipment maintenance log.

 

Cleaning

•All types of respirators should be cleaned and disinfected after each use.  This is particularly important if not individually assigned.  Clean and disinfect the respirator in the following way:

•Remove filters or cartridges.  Disassemble face pieces by removing speaking diaphragms, positive pressure valve assemblies, hoses or any components recommended by the manufacturer.  Repair or discard any defective parts.

•Wash components in (50oC maximum) water with a mild detergent or with a cleaner recommended by the manufacturer.  A stiff bristle (not wire) brush may be used to facilitate the removal of dirt.

•Rinse components thoroughly in clean, warm (50o C maximum), preferably running water.

•Ensure all masks are cleaned using a sanitizing agent.

•The importance of thorough rinsing cannot be over-emphasized.  Detergents or sanitizers that dry on face pieces may result in skin irritation.  In addition, some sanitizers may cause deterioration of rubber or corrosion of metal parts if not completely removed.

•Components should be hand-dried with a clean lint-free cloth or air-dried.

•Reassemble face piece, replacing filters and cartridges, where necessary.

•Test the respirator after assembly to ensure that all components work properly.

Storage

•Respiratory equipment must be stored to protect against dust, sunlight, heat, extreme cold, excessive moisture or damaging chemicals.

•All RPE must be stored in a readily accessible location.

•Respirators placed in work areas shall be stored in clearly marked containers which are quickly accessible at all times.

•Respirators stored in lockers or tool boxes must be protected from contamination, distortion and damage.

•Respirators carried in trucks must be fastened down securely inside the cab.

•All RPE is to be inspected before and after every use to ensure that it is in satisfactory working condition.

•RPE that is not used routinely but is kept for emergency use is to be inspected at least monthly by a competent worker to ensure that it is in satisfactory condition.