3M Respiratory Protection Safety Expertise Center

Welcome to the 3M Center for Respiratory Protection

Step-by-step tools to help ensure safety programs achieve their respiratory safety goals.

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 state and federal administrations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). If you’ve already started your research, you know it can be overwhelming. To help you make sense of it all, we’ve summarized key elements of the federal standard and what you need to do to comply with each one.

  • Worker wearing 3M disposible respirator

    Highlights of the OSHA regulations on respiratory protection

    When respiratory protection is required by OSHA, 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.

    Each part of the program can seem complex. Although as a safety administrator you must follow all applicable rules and regulations, we’ve outlined key highlights to help you navigate them.

    Site: OSHA Federal Regulation 29 CFR 1910.34


General steps to set up a respiratory protection program


Featured Resource: OSHA Online Respirator Medical Evaluations

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    3M facilitates a convenient method for employers to obtain medical evaluation of respirator wearers as required by the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134 with an OSHA respirator medical evaluation questionnaire.

    Learn More about Online Respirator Medical Evaluations

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