Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
associated. with. respirator. use.. If. they. detect. vapor. or. gas. breakthrough,. changes.
in. breathing. resistance,. or. leakage. of. the. face. piece,. they. must. leave. the. area. as.
quickly. as. possible.. They. must. also. leave. the. area. to. replace. the. respirator. or. the.
ilter,..cartridge,.or.canister.elements.
If. the. employee. detects. vapor. or. gas. breakthrough,. changes. in. breathing. resis-
tance,.or.leakage.of.the.face.piece,.the.company.must.replace.or.repair.the.respirator.
before.allowing.the.employee.to.return.to.the.work.area.
P
roCEDurEs
for
iDlH A
tmosPHErEs
For. all. IDLH. atmospheres,. the. company. shall. ensure. that. one. employee. or,. when.
needed,. more. than. one. employee. is. located. outside. the. IDLH. atmosphere.. Visual,.
voice,. or. signal. line. communication. must. be. maintained. between. the. employee(s).
in.the.IDLH.atmosphere.and.the.employee(s).located.outside.the.IDLH.atmosphere..
The.employee(s).located.outside.the.IDLH.atmosphere.shall.be.trained.and.equipped.
to. provide. effective. emergency. rescue.. The. company. or. designee. must. be. notiied.
before.the.employee(s).located.outside.the.IDLH.atmosphere.enter.the.IDLH.atmo-
sphere.to.provide.emergency.rescue..The.company.or.designee.authorized.to.do.so.
by.the.company,.once.notiied,.shall.provide.necessary.assistance.appropriate.to.the.
situation..Employee(s).located.outside.the.IDLH.atmospheres.must.be.equipped.with
.
1.. Pressure.demand.or.other.positive.pressure.SCBAs,.or.a.pressure.demand.
or.other.positive.pressure.supplied-air.respirator.with.auxiliary.SCBA.
.
2.. Appropriate.retrieval.equipment.for.removing.the.employee(s).who.enter(s).
these.hazardous.atmospheres.where.retrieval.equipment.would.contribute.
to. the. rescue. of. the. employee(s). and. would. not. increase. the. overall. risk.
resulting. from. entry. or. an. equivalent. means. for. rescue. where. retrieval.
equipment.is.not.required.
C
lEAning
AnD
D
isinfECting
The.company.shall.provide.each.respirator.user.with.a.respirator.that.is.clean,.sanitary,.
and.in.good.working.order..The.company.must.ensure.that.respirators.are.cleaned.and.
disinfected.using.the.standard.operating.procedure.(SOP).under.these.conditions:
.
1.. Respirators.issued.for.the.exclusive.use.of.an.employee.shall.be.cleaned.and.
disinfected.as.often.as.necessary.to.be.maintained.in.a.sanitary.condition.
.
2.. Respirators.issued.to.more.than.one.employee.must.be.cleaned.and.disin-
fected.before.being.worn.by.different.individuals.
.
3.. Respirators.maintained.for.emergency.use.shall.be.cleaned.and.disinfected.
after.each.use.
.
4.. Respirators.used.in.it.testing.and.training.must.be.cleaned.and.disinfected.
after.each.use.
.
5.. Cleaning.and.storage.of.respirators.assigned.to.speciic.employees.are.the.
responsibility.of.the.employee.
