PDFWAC 296-62-07413

Respirator protection.

(1) General. For employees who use respirators required by this section, the employer must provide each employee an appropriate respirator that complies with the requirements of this subsection. Respirators must be used during:
(a) Periods necessary to install or implement feasible engineering and work-practice controls when employee exposure levels exceed the PEL;
(b) Maintenance and repair activities, and brief or intermittent operations, where employee exposures exceed the PEL and engineering and work-practice controls are not feasible or are not required;
(c) Activities in regulated areas as specified in WAC 296-62-07409;
(d) Work operations for which the employer has implemented all feasible engineering and work-practice controls and such controls are not sufficient to reduce employee exposures to or below the PEL;
(e) Work operations for which an employee who is exposed to cadmium at or above the action level, and the employee requests a respirator;
(f) Work operations for which an employee is exposed above the PEL and engineering controls are not required by WAC 296-62-07411 (1)(b); and
(g) Emergencies.
(2) Respirator program.
(a) The employer must develop, implement and maintain a respiratory protection program as required by chapter 296-842 WAC, Respirators, which covers each employee required by this chapter to use a respirator.
(b) No employees must use a respirator if, based on their recent medical examination, the examining physician determines that they will be unable to continue to function normally while using a respirator. If the physician determines that the employee must be limited in, or removed from, their current job because of their inability to use a respirator, the limitation or removal must be in accordance with WAC 296-62-07423 (11) and (12).
(c) If an employee has breathing difficulty during fit testing or respirator use, the employer must provide the employee with a medical examination as required by WAC 296-62-07423 (6)(b) to determine if the employee can use a respirator while performing the required duties.
(3) Respirator selection. The employer must:
(a) Select and provide the appropriate respirator as specified in this section and WAC 296-842-13005, found in the respirator rule.
(i) Provide employees with full-facepiece respirators when they experience eye irritation.
(ii) Make sure high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters or N-, R-, or P-100 series filters are provided for powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) and negative-pressure air-purifying respirators.
(b) Provide an employee with a powered, air-purifying respirator (PAPR) instead of a negative-pressure respirator when an employee who is entitled to a respirator chooses to use this type of respirator and such a respirator provides adequate protection to the employee.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 09-15-145, § 296-62-07413, filed 7/21/09, effective 9/1/09; WSR 07-05-072, § 296-62-07413, filed 2/20/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 05-03-093, § 296-62-07413, filed 1/18/05, effective 3/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, [49.17].040 and [49.17].050. WSR 99-10-071, § 296-62-07413, filed 5/4/99, effective 9/1/99. Statutory Authority: Chapter 49.17 RCW. WSR 93-21-075 (Order 93-06), § 296-62-07413, filed 10/20/93, effective 12/1/93; WSR 93-07-044 (Order 93-01), § 296-62-07413, filed 3/13/93, effective 4/27/93.]