Section 325.51862. Respiratory protection; circumstances for use; selection.

(1) For employees who use respirators required by this rule, the employer shall provide each employee an appropriate respirator that complies with the requirements of this rule. Respirators must be used during all of the following:

(a)    Periods necessary to install or implement feasible engineering and work practice controls when employee exposures exceeds the PEL.

(b)  Maintenance and repair activities and brief or intermittent work operations for which employee exposures exceed the PEL and engineering and work practice controls are not feasible or are not required.

(c)   ) Work operations in the regulated areas specified in R 325.51857.

(d)   Work operations for which the employer has implemented all feasible engineering and work practice controls and such controls are not sufficient to reduce exposures to or below the PEL.

(e)   Emergencies.

(f)  Work operations for which an employee who is exposed to cadmium at or above the action level requests a respirator.

(g)   Work operations for which engineering controls are not required by R 325.51859(2) to reduce employee exposures that exceed the PEL.

(2)  The employer shall do all of the following:

(a)     Select, and provide to employees, the appropriate respirators specified in paragraph (d)(3)(i)(A) of Occupational Health Standard Part 451 “Respiratory Protection,” as referenced in R 325.51851a.

(b)    Provide employees with full facepiece respirators when they experience eye irritation.

(c)   ) Provide HEPA filters for powered and non-powered air-purifying respirators.

(3)   An employer shall provide a powered, air-purifying respirator (PAPR) in place of a negative pressure respirator if an employee who is entitled to a respirator chooses to use this type of respirator and if a PAPR respirator will provide adequate protection to the employee.

History: 1993 AACS; 1999 AACS; 2013 AACS.