Section 296-842-11005. Make sure voluntary use of respirators is safe.

IMPORTANT:

• Respirator use is not voluntary, and the required use sections of this chapter apply, if:

– An employer chooses to require respirator use.

– A respiratory hazard, such as exposure to a substance over the permissible exposure limit (PEL) or hazardous exposure to an airborne biological hazard, is present. To evaluate respiratory hazards in your workplace, see chapter 296-841 WAC, Airborne contaminants.

– Some requirements in this section do not apply if only filtering-facepiece respirators are used voluntarily.

– Some filtering-facepiece respirators are equipped with a sorbent layer for absorbing "nuisance" organic vapors. These can be used for voluntary use, but are not NIOSH certified for protection against hazardous concentrations of organic vapor.

(1) Make sure voluntary respirator use does NOT:

(a) Interfere with an employee's ability to work safely, such as restricting necessary vision or radio communication;

OR

(b) Create health hazards.

Note:	Examples of health hazards include:
	• Skin irritation, dermatitis, or other health effects caused by using a dirty respirator.
	• Illness created by sharing contaminated respirators.
	• Health effects caused by use of an unsafe air supply, such as carbon monoxide poisoning.

(2) Provide all voluntary respirator users with the advisory information in Table 2 at no cost to them.

(3) Develop and maintain a written program that includes the following:

(a) Medical evaluation provisions as specified in WAC 296-842-14005.

(b) Procedures to properly clean and disinfect respirators, according to WAC 296-842-22015, if they are reused.

(c) How to properly store respirators, according to WAC 296-842-17010, so that using them does not create hazards.

(d) Procedures to make sure there is a safe air supply, according to WAC 296-842-20010, when using air-line respirators and SCBAs.

(e) Effective training to ensure respirator use does NOT create a hazard.

Exemption:	If employees use only filtering-facepiece respirators and do so only voluntarily, you do not need to develop and maintain a written program.

(4) Use Table 2 to provide information to employees who voluntarily use any type of respirator.

Table 2

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.050 and 29 C.F.R. Subpart Z. WSR 09-19-119, § 296-842-11005, filed 9/22/09, effective 12/1/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 07-05-072, § 296-842-11005, filed 2/20/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 03-20-114, § 296-842-11005, filed 10/1/03, effective 1/1/04.]

RCW 49.17.050 and 29 C.F.R. Subpart Z. WSR 09-19-119, § 296-842-11005, filed 9/22/09, effective 12/1/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 07-05-072, § 296-842-11005, filed 2/20/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 03-20-114, § 296-842-11005, filed 10/1/03, effective 1/1/04.

Rules

296-841,296-842-14005,296-842-22015,296-842-17010,296-842-20010,