Respiratory Protection Flashcards
Why would respiratory protection be used if engineering controls are in place?
Engineering controls are insufficient
What types of activities/work warrants RP use?
Maintenance, repair, construction, abatement, emergency, health care
What is considered approved RP?
Approved by NIOSH (no substitutions with non-certified parts)
Examples of air purifying respirators?
Dust mask, half/full face respirators, gas masks, PAPRs
Examples of atmosphere supplying respirator?
Supplied air respirator (i.e. airline), SCBA
What are the three characteristics of a respirator?
Facepiece (half or full), pressure relative to atmo (pos or neg), mode of operation (continuous or pressure demand)
How to APRs work?
Filters particulates and/or adsorbs gases and vapors
What are the limitations to an APR?
Does not change O2 concentration, cannot be used in IDLH environment
What is a P100 filter?
Oil proof particulate filter with 99.97% efficiency
What is an R99 filter?
Oil proof for one shift with 99% efficiency
What is an N95 filter?
Non oil resistant filter with 95% efficiency
What are HEPA filters?
High efficiency particulate filters, 99.97% efficiency and are required for toxic particulates
What is inertial impaction (filtration)?
Dense particles resist change in airflow and hit filter as a result.
What is diffusion (filtration)?
Brownian motion causes very small particles to hit filter.
What is interception (filtration)?
Particle hits filter despite being able to track airflow.
What is sedimentation (filtration)?
Particles settle onto surface due to gravity. Larger mass particles settle faster.
Why does filtration efficiency decrease at ~0.3 um?
Particles have a certain mass where it is not strongly influenced by impaction or diffusion.
What is the difference between an N95 and a surgical mask in a healthcare setting?
N95s protect workers from aerosol transmissible diseases while surgical masks protect patients and are not APRs
What are the characteristics of N95s?
Single use, need fit testing, use both straps, need RPP
What are vapor and gas cartridges designed for?
Acid gases, organic vapors, ammonia
What is a vapor/gas cartridge maximum use concentration?
APF x PEL
What are the limits of a VG cartridge?
1000 ppm, can never exceed IDLH
How would you use the MUC to determine what kind of respirator to use?
Compare the MUC to the air concentration in the work area
What are the GV cartridge removal mechanisms?
Adsorption (stick to surface) and absorption (incorporated into substrate)
Cartridge color code: black
Organic vapor
Cartridge color code: white
Acid gas
Cartridge color code: yellow
OV + acid gas
Cartridge color code: green
Ammonia
Cartridge color code: orange
Mercury vapor
Cartridge color code: olive green
Multi-contaminant
Cartridge color code: magenta
P100
When should a change out schedule be established?
When no end of service life indicator is present
Why does air concentration affect cartridge life?
Higher concentrations increase the amount of contaminant for that use time
Why does intensity of work affect cartridge life?
Work intensity determines how often/how much volume is pulled through the cartridge, thus how much contaminant is loaded
Why do temperature and humidity affect cartridge life?
Not sure. My guess: it affects the adsorption characteristics of the filter.
What are warning properties for respirators?
Odor (if below PEL), taste, slight nose/throat irritation indicates breakthrough
What is a gas mask?
A type of APR
What is a CBRN gas mask?
Chemical/biological/radiological/nuclear
What are 2 characteristics of gas mask canisters?
Lasts longer than cartridges and can be chin/belt mounted
How are PAPRs different from non-powered APRs?
Provides airflow and can accommodate beards/glasses (for hood type PAPRs, not loose fitting)
What face pieces provide a PAPR with 25 APR?
Loose fitting face piece, helmet, hood
What face pieces provide a PAPR with 1000 APR?
full face piece and helmet/hood with manufacturer test data
What is required for a continuous flow atmo supplying respirator?
Compressor for air source
What is grade D breathing air?
O2 19.5-23.5% CO <=10 ppm CO2 <=1000 ppm Oil <=5 mg/m3 Lack of noticeable odor ANSI/CGA Commodity Specification for Air G-7.1-1989
What must be minimized with non-oil lubricated compressors?
CO must not exceed 10 ppm
What is accessory is included with oil lubricated compressor?
CO and/or high temperature alarms
What should be minimized with air compressors in general?
Moisture
What are breathing air couplings incompatible with?
Outlets for non-respirable worksite air or other gas systems
What should be minimized with cylinders?
Moisture in air
What must be done to meet DOT requirements for cylinders?
Labeling, testing, and maintenance
Why should cylinder breathing couplings be incompatible with worksite air/other gas systems?
So you don’t breathe shitty air lol
What should the supplier provide with their breathing air cylinders?
Certificate of analysis
When should atmo supplying respirators be used?
When no approved APR is available
Abrasive blasting with sand/of toxic substances
Escape from/work in IDLH atmospheres
What kind of air is provided in an airline respirator?
Grade D
What are the cfm requirements for an airline respirator?
4 if tight fitting, 6 if loose fitting
What are air line respirators also called?
Type C
How long should hoses be for airline respirators?
<=300 feet
What is the max pressure for an airline respirator?
125 psig
What is a closed circuit SCBA?
Rebreather, absorbs CO2, recycles O2, used in mine rescue, no NIOSH criteria
What is an open circuit SCBA?
Pressure demand, grade D air, used in IDLH/emergency response/unknown atmospheres.
What is an IDLH atmosphere?
Poses threat of death, immediate or delayed adverse health effects, prevents escape. Can cause these effects within 30 minutes.
What are examples of IDLH?
Unknown atmo, firefighting, O2 deficiency, 2000x PEL, 500x PEL particulates, 10% LEL, NIOSH established IDLH levels
What kind of RP do IDLH atmospheres require?
NIOSH certified full facepiece pressure demand SCBA with >=30 min air OR combo full facepiece pressure demand air line respirator with auxiliary bottle (15 min for entry and escape)
When can an O2 deficient atmosphere NOT be considered IDLH?
If employer can demonstrate the [O2] can be maintained within certain ranges (see table 2), then any atmosphere supplying respirator may be used.
What is the exception to the exception for O2 deficient atmospheres and IDLH conditions?
When altitude is >8,000 feet
At what altitude must oxygen-enriched breathing air be supplied?
14,000 feet
For RP selection, how would one address potential respiratory hazards?
ID airborne chems of concern, determine O2 and chem concentration, review: phys/chem properties, OELS, systemic effects, warning properties
For RP selection, how would one address Workplace factors?
How are the chems used, how often, how long for any given task, how much, size of work area, and number of employees impacted.
What is required for a user when using RP?
Initial and annual training, medical approval, successful annual fit test
What are some considerations when picking a specific piece of RP?
APR vs air supply, facepiece/head gear type, APF, max use concentration, cartridge, filters, air supply
What are RPP employer responsibilities?
Evaluate workplace hazards, implement RPP, provide: medical eval, training, respirators and supplies, fit testing, program eval, record keeping.
What are RPP employee responsibilities?
Use respirators properly as trained, seal checks, inspect, clean, and maintain, protect equipment, store properly, report malfunction and changes in medical status.
How do you clean a respirator?
Clean after each use. Use warm water with cleaning solution, disinfect with 50 ppm each bleach and iodine, rinse well and air dry OR clean with wipes.
How do you store respirators?
In a sealed container separate from cartridges. Away from sunlight, moisture, and temperature extremes.
In a quantitative fit test, what values are being compared?
Ratio of [particles] outside mask to [particles] inside mask.
How does a condensation nucleus counter work?
Grows particles via condensation and counts through light scattering. Can be used for filtering face pieces.
How does a controlled negative pressure test work?
Applies negative pressure and measures leak rate. Cannot be used for filtering face pieces.
