The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated respiratory protection directive for hazardous chemicals, according to an article on the FacilityCare website. Employers may be cited for violating the OSHA standard even when workers are voluntarily wearing filtering facepiece respirators.
The directive, which took effect June 26, provides updated guidance to inspectors performing compliance inspections involving respiratory protection.
The new directive also serves to inform industry, employer and worker groups, state programs, and other federal agencies concerning OSHA's policy and procedures for implementing intervention and inspection programs to reduce or eliminate workplace exposures related to hazardous airborne substances, the article said.
If respirators are required to be worn in the workplace, or if respirators other than dust masks are worn voluntarily, the employer is required to have a written respiratory protection program.
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