Welcome to the 3M Centre for Respiratory Protection
Step-by-step tools to help ensure safety programs achieve their respiratory safety goals.
Welcome
Your respiratory protection program starts here.
As the safety administrator, running a successful respiratory protection program means navigating a maze of regulations and anticipating hazards. Consider us your resource. Whenever you are in the process, we can help guide you to the information and details you need.
To run a successful workplace respiratory protection program, you must understand and comply with the standards set by local guidelines, standards (AS/NZS 1715) and regulations. If you’ve already started your research, you know it can be overwhelming. To help you make sense of it all, we’ve summarised key elements of the standards.
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Highlights of the AS/NZS 1715 Standard, selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
When respiratory protection is required as per the standard, a written respiratory protection program should be established. That means the designated program administrator must oversee the following:
- Assessment of exposure to airborne contaminants.
- Selection of appropriate respirators.
- Evaluation of employees’ health to make sure they can wear a respirator.
- Fit-testing and training of employees regularly.
- Inspection, repair, cleaning, storage and replacement of respirators as needed.
- Review of the program periodically to make sure it’s being run properly.
- Keeping a written record of all of the above.
Explore Step-By-Step Tools
One
Exposure Assessment
Worksafe NZ requires employers to evaluate respiratory hazards in the workplace. You can bring in an independent consultant for an additional opinion on your hazards if you don’t have a trained safety professional on staff . The results of the assessment can help determine:
- Exposure levels, and whether they’re acceptable or unacceptable.
- Effective ways to control exposure.
- Which types of respirators (if any) can help provide the right protection for your workers.
You should conduct a new assessment periodically and every time there are changes in the workplace that could result in new exposures — such as a change in equipment, process, products or control measures.
Two
Respirator Selection
When respirator use is required in the workplace, respirators shall conform to the requirements of AS/NZS 1716*.
As a safety administrator, you must select respirators according to the assigned protection factor (APF), which is the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class of respirators is expected to provide to employees when the employer implements a continuing, effective respiratory protection program.
Another consideration is maximum use concentration (MUC), which is the maximum concentration a worker can be expected to be protected from using the chosen respirator. Multiplying the APF by the workplace exposure standard (WES) gives you the MUC for a respirator; it should be less than the IDLH levels for that hazard.
WES X APF = MUC
And finally, the respirators you select have to be appropriate for the type of hazard. Different types of respirators, filters and cartridges are needed depending on whether the airborne contaminants in your workplace are particles, gases, vapours or other hazards. Respirators also need to be compatible with any other personal protective equipment (PPE) and other relevant workplace and user factors e.g. hot environment, health conditions, confined work spaces etc.
*when a recommendation for a respiratory protective device is not available from Australia or New Zealand authorities, the use of respiratory protective equipment may be drawn from recognised international authorities or standardisation bodies.
Three
Medical Evaluations
As per Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 1715:2009 section 6.1 Medical Assessment) "Persons who are routinely required to wear respirators should have an initial medial assessment prior to use to determine if they are able to wear respirators."
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AS/NZS 1715 requirements section 7
Further medical assessment may be required when there is a change in circumstances that may affect the workers ability to wear the RPE. Re-evaluation is also necessary if:
- A worker reports signs or symptoms that may affect his/her ability to use a respirator.
- A supervisor or respiratory program administrator decides it is.
- Information arises during fit testing or program evaluation indicating a need.
- Workplace conditions change (for example, if more exertion is required, temperatures change, or bulkier protective clothing is introduced).
Keep Track
Records needed for the written respiratory program:
- Description of medical evaluations
Copies of the medical evaluation and questionnaire used (keep copies of each employee’s medical determination clearance letter in his/her file for 30 years post-employment). Please ensure local privacy are followed when record keeping.
Four
Fit Testing
Tight-fitting respirators can only provide expected protection if they fit correctly, so fit-testing each employee is critical.
There are two kinds of tests, and AS/NZS 1715 specifies which can be used depending on the respirator type.
Five
Respirator Training
Annual training is an important (and OSHA-mandated) piece of the respiratory safety program. OSHA states that, at a minimum, training should include:
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- Hazard identification.
- Why employees need to use the respirator.
- Respirator selection process.
- Fit testing requirements, as applicable.
- What the respirator can and cannot do to help protect them.
- How to properly inspect, put on and take off, and use their respirators.
- How to perform a “user seal check” on their respirators.
- Importance of wear time.
- How to recognize medical signs and symptoms that may limit or prevent workers from using a respirator.
- How improper fit, usage or maintenance can reduce the respirator’s ability to protect them.
- The procedures for maintenance and storage of the respirator.
Six
Respirator Maintenance
Employers must provide procedures for the proper use and care of half and full-facepiece respirators.
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Use
- Prohibiting conditions that could cause seal leakage, like facial hair.
- Enforcing the practice of performing a user seal check each time workers put on the respirator.
- Making sure employees keep their respirator on and operating effectively while in hazardous environments.
If air-purifying respirators are used, they may have an end-of-service-life indicator (ESLI) for a specific contaminant. If there’s no ESLI appropriate for conditions in the workplace, then implement a change schedule for canisters and cartridges, based on objective information or data, to ensure they’re changed before the end of their service life. Keep a record in your respiratory program explaining the information and data relied upon, the basis for the change schedule, and the basis for using that data.
The AS/NZS 1715 standard contains specific rules for proper respirator use in IDLH atmospheres.
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Cleaning and Disinfecting
Each employee who needs one must receive a respirator that’s in working order, clean and sanitary. AS/NZS 1715 provides procedures for cleaning and disinfecting, or you can use the procedures recommended by the respirator manufacturer in the user instructions.
Frequency of cleaning and disinfection depends on how you use the respirator.
- Respirators used exclusively by an employee: as often as necessary to be sanitary.
- Respirators used by more than one employee: before it’s worn by a different person.
- Emergency-use respirators: after each use.
- Respirators used in fit testing and training: after each use.
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Identification of Equipment
All filters, cartridges and canisters are labelled and colour coded with the AS/NZS 1716 approval label. The label should not be removed and must remain legible.
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Storage
All respirators should be stored to protect them from damage, contamination, dust, sunlight, extreme temperatures, excessive moisture and damaging chemicals. Make sure the way they’re packed doesn’t distort the facepiece and exhalation valve and that they are not hung by their straps.
Emergency respirators have some additional requirements: They must be kept accessible to the work area, in compartments or in covers that are clearly marked as containing emergency respirators, and in accordance with any applicable manufacturer instructions. -
Inspection
Make sure to have your respirators inspected before each use and during cleaning. All respirators maintained for use in emergency situations should be inspected at least monthly and in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, and checked for proper function before and after each use. Be sure to inspect emergency escape-only respirators before use.
Respirator inspections should include a check of:
- Respirator function.
- Tightness of connections.
- Pliability of elastomeric parts.
- The condition of the various parts including the facepiece, head straps, valves, connecting tube, cartridges, canisters or filters.
For respirators maintained for emergency use, document:
- The date the inspection was performed.
- Who made the inspection.
- The findings, including required remedial action.
- A serial number or other means of identifying the inspected respirator.
Keep all information on file until the next inspection.
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Repairs
If a respirator fails an inspection or isn’t working, you may discard, repair or adjust it. It is recommended that:
- Only workers trained to do so can make repairs or adjustments to respirators.
- You should use only the respirator manufacturer’s approved parts. Multiple manufacturer parts cannot be used in one respirator system and doing so will void current Australia / New Zealand Standard certification.
- Repairs should be made according to the manufacturer's recommendations and specifications for the type and extent of repairs to be performed.
- Reducing and admission valves, regulators, and alarms should be adjusted or repaired only by the manufacturer or a trained technician authorised by the manufacturer.
Keep Track
Records needed for the written respiratory program:
- Canister and cartridge change schedule including information and data relied upon as the basis for the change schedule
- Cleaning protocol and frequency
- Respirator inspection frequency and results, keep records updated with current inspection results
Seven
Program Evaluation
All the elements of the program listed above should be evaluated regularly and discussed at regular safety committee meetings. Examine the written records to make sure all tests and inspections are up to date. Also, talk to the workers who use respiratory equipment to ensure the current respirators fulfil their needs, and that they understand and follow procedures for using and maintaining respirators.
Make a record of your evaluation, summarising findings, any deficiencies identified and corrective actions to be taken.
Eight
Recordkeeping
Keeping a written record provides proof of compliance with the regulatory standards to local standards. It also gives employees a reliable source for information about respiratory protection procedures, and it’s invaluable in helping evaluate the program.
The record should:
- State all the policies and procedures established for your workplace.
- List who is responsible for which parts of the program.
- Contain all the documentation gathered during all of the previous steps.
It takes work and organization to set up and maintain each part of a respiratory protection program. Requirements may vary by type and level of respiratory hazards employees face, but it’s essential for meeting governmental requirements and helping keep your workforce safe.
* This is an overview only, not an official, legal or complete interpretation of the standard.
Refer to the complete AS/NZS 1715 standard for specific questions
Fast Facts About Respiratory Protection
There is so much information to get through in long regulatory documents, and respiratory protection can be complex. This list addresses some of the potentially misunderstood or little-known facts surrounding respiratory protection.
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Dust masks are not respirators, but disposable respirators are.
Though a dust (nuisance) mask, also known as a comfort mask, looks similar to a filtering facepiece or disposable respirator, dust masks don’t have AS/NZS certification.
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An organic vapour cartridge doesn’t protect against all organic vapours.
If it’s not clear from the product information, contact the manufacturer to verify. You may need to select a different respirator for the types of vapours present in your workplace.
For additional information on 3M cartridges and facepieces, please use our selection guide.
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The colours on a respirator cartridge aren’t just decoration.
The colour-coding on cartridges signifies which contaminants are filtered. Details on colour coding can be found in AS/NZS 1715.
NOTE: Colouring coding may vary across international standards and regulations.
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Disposable respirators must be fit-tested.
A filtering facepiece can help protect the wearer’s lungs from harmful particulates — but only if it fits correctly and forms a tight seal. Fit testing of disposable respirators is recommended as per AS/NZS 1715.
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Frequency of Fit Tests
As per Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 1715:2009) an individual shall be fit tested prior to initial use, whenever there is a change in your facial characteristics or other features which may affect the facial seal of the respirator and should be repeated annually thereafter.
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Loose-fitting respirators don’t need to be fit-tested.
Only tight-fitting respirators, designed to form a complete seal on the face, need a fit test. Loose-fitting respirators, such as the headtop used in a powered- or supplied-air system, don’t require fit-testing.
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A medical evaluation may not involve a trip to the doctor.
Some occupational health assessments are offered prior to fit testing certain respiratory protection equipment. Employers should be familiar with information provided in AS/NZS 1715 Section 6, Medical and Physical considerations.
- A written respiratory protection program is required and it must be site-specific.
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Respiratory protection is the last line of defense.
Worksafe New Zealand specifies before you resort to respirators for workers, you must first try to eliminate the hazard from the workplace and try to limit worker exposure. If it’s not feasible or financially viable to remove the risk in your workplace, then respiratory protection is required — and vital to help protect your workers from the airborne hazards they face.
