Respirator Fit Testing Facial Hair Rules Are Critical For Industrial Safety

UAB Employee Health is conducting Fit Testing in accordance with OSHA standards for all UAB employees. The purpose of the N95 Respiratory Protection Program is to establish standard operating ... Fit tests confirm that a respirator forms a tight seal to your face before you use it in the workplace. A qualitative fit test relies on your senses to determine if there is a gap in the seal of your respirator. A quantitative fit test uses an instrument to numerically measure the effectiveness of your respirator. Facial hair can impact the fit of your respirator. WHEN OSHA's revised Respiratory Protection Standard for General Industry, 29 CFR 1910.134, became effective on , it provided employers with an all-inclusive reference source for fit ... The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently launched its Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge, and now the event has revealed its first round of winners. In a CDC release ... The purpose of Western Michigan University’s Respiratory Protection Safety Program is to enhance the protection of employee health by ensuring proper training, selecting and fitting of respirators, in ...

The NIOSH Respirator Approval Program is responsible for testing and approving respirators. *If your respirator has an exhalation valve, some of these styles may interfere with the valve working properly if the facial hair comes in contact with it. †This graphic may not include all types of facial hairstyles.