Getting the most out of your RPE

Mark Andrews, Scott Safety’s product manager – air purified, offers a
guide to setting up a successful respiratory protection programme

There are a number of reasons
why users choose to wear
respiratory protection
equipment (RPE) including the law,
procedures, personal judgement and
health reasons. However, there are just
as many reasons why some choose not to
wear RPE such as limited access to RPE,
user discomfort, compatibility with
other personal protective equipment
(PPE), a lack of awareness of health risks
and how RPE works, and inadequate
guidance. Developing a successful RPE
programme can help educate workers in
the need for RPE and allows employers
to track RPE effectiveness.

Globally, both hazard communication and
PPE standards are undergoing review to
bring about a new set of Global
Harmonised Standards (GHS). In the UK,
the REACH directive is already defining a
new way of classifying and
communicating hazards that places
responsibilities with both the producer
and end user of hazardous chemical
containing substances. The improved
classification and reporting of hazards will
only add to the responsibility of the
employer to ensure that proper
implementation and documentation of
control strategies are in place.

Specific to respiratory, efforts are being
made by international industry regulators
to harmonise respiratory standards under
a common standard, EN 17420, initially
intended for publication around 2015. Its
intention is to overcome differences in
regional standards, for example in the
protection ratings allocated to types of
respirator – filtering facepieces, halfmasks,
fullface and powered air units, providing
clarity for manufacturers and users alike
on performance characteristics of these
kinds of equipment.

An effective workplace risk assessment
will identify all factors potentially
hazardous to health. In terms of
respiratory hazards, it will recognise
potential threats arising from
environments Immediately Dangerous to
Life or Health (IDLH) such as oxygendeficiency/
acute respiratory toxins and
will also consider the threat from
combinations of respiratory hazards such
as mixtures of dusts, fibres and gases. To
quantify risk in relation to respiratory
hazards, ‘hazard ratio’ – the ratio between
the allowable concentration limit and that
which is found in the workplace
environment – will be used. RPE type
with sufficient protection factor will then
be selected to mitigate risk as quantified
by the hazard ratio.

Selection procedures
Selecting appropriate RPE for protection
in a hazardous environment requires a
thorough assessment of hazards present. A
clear set of selection steps must be
followed to determine the type of RPE to
be used for the task including
consideration of breathing apparatus,
filtering masks, powered air or use of
compressed airline systems. The HSE’s
HSG53 document details protection
factors offered by various types of RPEfiltering
facepieces, halfmasks, full masks
and powered-air. With many kinds of filter
types available on the market
e.g. PSL, ABE, ABEK, ABEKHg
selection of the right filter
can be confusing. Reputable
equipment manufacturers such
as Scott Safety offer a website
filter selection tool (SureLife)
which provides easy selection of
a filter for particular respiratory
hazard(s).

Even though RPE is designed and
certified to accommodate a wide range of
the population based on
anthropomorphic databases, facial
morphology is not the sole
determination of fit. Regular fit testing
verifies the ability of the end user to don
the RPE and obtain a satisfactory fit
factor.When fit testing users, alternative
sizes and models should be provided to
ensure the most appropriate and best
performing choice can be made, tailored
for the individual.

Employers implementing fit testing
should ensure that their employees
carrying out the programme are suitably
trained or that they contract a qualified
specialist provider, as a substantial level of
competency is needed to fit test an RPE
wearer effectively. Employers are also
expected to provide training for their end
users in general RPE use and specific use
instructions for their RPE.

Maintenance and storage
RPE must be inspected and maintained
on a regular schedule and stored properly
to prevent damage and contamination.

Manufacturer guidelines will provide
details on how this should be done. An
effective RPE programme needs to
provide a suitable area for cleaning,
maintaining and storing RPE between
uses. It should be a clean area away from
the workplace hazard, ideally enclosed
lockers or boxes and a suitable hanging
facility, if appropriate. If filters are to be
re-used they will usually be removed from
the RPE and stored in a plastic bag. Other
parts of RPE that are either washed or
wiped clean need an area to dry naturally
before being stored. In some instances,
depending on the type of chemical
hazard, filters must be changed out after
each shift.

New threats such as CBRN, a global
influenza pandemic and major industrial
incidents, along with common workplace
studies by the HSE, NIOSH and other
national bodies, have forced
manufacturers to further improve
respirator effectiveness, for example
anthropometric based faceseal and
suspension systems, and enhanced
communications. As respirators improve,
it is important to reflect this in your
respiratory protection programme.