WAC 296-842-10200
Definitions. (1) Air-purifying
respirator (APR) means a respirator equipped with an
air-purifying element such as a filter, cartridge, or
canister, OR having a filtering facepiece, for example, a dust
mask. The element or filtering facepiece is designed to
remove specific contaminants, such as particles, vapors, or
gases, from air that passes through it.
(2) Air-line respirator means an atmosphere-supplying
respirator for which breathing air is drawn from a source
separate from and not worn by the user, such as:
• A cylinder or a tank;
• A compressor;
• An uncontaminated environment.
(3) Air supplied respirator (see air-line respirator).
(4) Assigned protection factor (APF) indicates the
workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or
class of respirators is expected to provide to employees when
you implement a continuing, effective respiratory protection
program as specified by this chapter. For example, an
effective program makes sure the respirator is:
• Functioning properly;
• Fitted to the user;
• Worn by trained individuals; and
• Used with the limitations specified on the
NIOSH-approval label.
(5) Atmosphere-supplying respirator means a respirator
that supplies the user with breathing air from sources, such
as:
• A cylinder or a tank;
• A compressor;
• An uncontaminated environment.
(6) Breathing air means air supplied to an
atmosphere-supplying respirator. This air meets the
specifications found in WAC 296-842-20005.
(7) Canister or cartridge (air-purifying) is part of an
air-purifying respirator that consists of a container holding
materials such as fiber, treated charcoal, or a combination of
the two, that removes contaminants from the air passing
through the cartridge or canister.
(8) Cartridge respirator (see also air-purifying
respirator) means an air-purifying respirator equipped with
one or more cartridges. These respirators have a facepiece
made from silicone, rubber OR other plastic-like materials.
(9) Demand respirator means an atmosphere-supplying
respirator that sends breathing air to the facepiece only when
suction (negative pressure) is created inside the facepiece by
inhalation. Demand respirators are "negative pressure"
respirators.
(10) DOSH means the division of occupational safety and
health, located in the department of labor and industries.
(11) Dust mask is a name used to refer to
filtering-facepiece respirators. Dust masks may or may not be
NIOSH certified. See filtering facepiece.
(12) Emergency respirator means a respirator suitable for
rescue, escape, or other activities during emergency
situations.
(13) Emergency situation means any occurrence that could
or does result in a significant uncontrolled release of an
airborne contaminant. Causes of emergency situations include,
but are not limited to, equipment failure, rupture of
containers, or failure of control equipment.
(14) End-of-service-life indicator (ESLI) is a system
that warns the air-purifying respirator user that cartridges
or canisters must be changed. An example of an ESLI is a dot
on the respirator cartridge that changes color.
(15) Escape-only respirator is a respirator that can only
be used to exit during emergencies. Look for this use
limitation on the respirator's NIOSH approval label.
(16) Exposed, or exposure means the contact an employee
has with a toxic substance, harmful physical agent, or oxygen
deficient condition. Exposure can occur through various
routes of entry, such as inhalation, ingestion, skin contact,
or skin absorption.
(17) Filter means fibrous material that removes dust,
spray, mist, fume, fog, smoke particles, OR other aerosols
from the air.
(18) Filtering-facepiece respirator means a
tight-fitting, half-facepiece, negative-pressure, particulate
air-purifying respirator with the facepiece mainly composed of
filter material. These respirators do not use cartridges or
canisters and may have sealing surfaces composed of rubber,
silicone or other plastic-like materials. They are sometimes
referred to as "dust masks."
(19) Fit factor is a number providing an estimate of fit
for a particular respiratory inlet covering to a specific
individual during quantitative fit testing.
(20) Fit test (see also qualitative fit test and
quantitative fit test) is an activity where the facepiece seal
of a respirator is challenged, using a DOSH accepted
procedure, to determine if the respirator provides an adequate
seal.
(21) Full-facepiece respirator means a tight-fitting
respirator that covers the wearer's nose, mouth, and eyes.
(22) Gas mask means an air-purifying respirator equipped
with one or more canisters. These respirators have a
facepiece made from silicone, rubber OR other plastic-like
materials.
(23) Half-facepiece respirator is a tight-fitting
respirator that only covers the wearer's nose and mouth.
(24) Helmet means the rigid part of a respirator that
covers the wearer's head AND also provides head protection
against impact or penetration.
(25) High-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA)is a
powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) filter that removes at
least 99.97% of monodisperse dioctyl phthalate (DOP) particles
with a mean particle diameter of 0.3 micrometer from
contaminated air.
Note:
Filters designated, under 42 CFR Part 84, as an "N100," "R100," or "P100" provide the same filter efficiency
(99.97%) as HEPA filters.
(26) Hood is the part of a respirator that completely
covers the wearer's head and neck AND may also cover some or
all of the shoulders and torso.
(27) Immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) means
an atmospheric condition that would:
• Cause an immediate threat to life; or
• Cause permanent or delayed adverse health effects; or
• Interfere with an employee's ability to escape.
(28) Licensed health care professional (LHCP) means an
individual whose legally permitted scope of medical practice
allows him or her to provide some or all of the health care
services required for respirator users' medical evaluations.
(29) Loose-fitting facepiece is a respiratory inlet
covering that is designed to form a partial seal with the
face.
(30) Negative-pressure respirator means any tight-fitting
respirator in which the air pressure inside the facepiece is
less than the air pressure outside the respirator during
inhalation.
(31) NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health. NIOSH is the federal agency that certifies
respirators for occupational use.
(32) Oxygen deficient is an atmosphere with an oxygen
content below 19.5% by volume.
(33) Permissible exposure limits (PELs) are employee
exposures to toxic substances or harmful agents that must not
be exceeded. PELs are specified in applicable DOSH chapters.
(34) Positive-pressure respirator means a respirator in
which the air pressure inside the respiratory inlet covering
is greater than the air pressure outside the respirator.
(35) Powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) means an
air-purifying respirator equipped with a blower that draws
ambient air through cartridges or canisters. These
respirators, as a group, are not classified as positive
pressure respirators and must not be used as such.
(36) Pressure-demand respirator means a positive-pressure
atmosphere-supplying respirator that sends breathing air to
the respiratory inlet covering when the positive pressure is
reduced inside the facepiece by inhalation or leakage.
(37) Qualitative fit test (QLFT) is a test that
determines the adequacy of respirator fit for an individual.
The test relies on the employee's ability to detect a test
substance. Test results are either "pass" or "fail."
(38) Quantitative fit test (QNFT) is a test that
determines the adequacy of respirator fit for an individual.
The test relies on specialized equipment that performs numeric
measurements of leakage into the respiratory inlet covering.
Test results are used to calculate a "fit factor."
(39) Required use is respirator use that:
• Is necessary to protect employees from respiratory
hazards; or
• The employer decides to require for his or her own
reasons. For example, the employer decides to follow more
rigorous exposure limits.
(40) Respirator is a type of personal protective
equipment designed to protect the wearer from airborne
contaminants, oxygen deficiency, or both.
(41) Respiratory hazard means airborne hazards and oxygen
deficiency that are addressed in chapter 296-841 WAC, Airborne
contaminants.
(42) Respiratory inlet covering is the part of a
respirator that forms the protective barrier between the
user's respiratory tract and an air-purifying device or
breathing air source or both. The respiratory inlet covering
may be a facepiece, helmet, hood, suit, or mouthpiece
respirator with nose clamp.
(43) Seal check means actions conducted by the respirator
user each time the respirator is put on, to determine if the
respirator is properly seated on the face.
(44) Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is an
atmosphere-supplying respirator designed for the breathing air
source, to be carried by the user.
(45) Service-life means the period of time that a
respirator, filter or sorbent, or other respiratory equipment
provides adequate protection to the wearer. For example, the
period of time that sorbent cartridge is effective for
removing a harmful substance from the air.
(46) Sorbent means rigid, porous material, such as
charcoal, used to remove vapor or gas from the air.
(47) Supplied-air respirator (see air-line respirator).
(48) Tight-fitting facepiece is a respiratory inlet
covering forming a complete seal with the face OR neck.
Mouthpiece respirators are not tight-fitting facepieces.
(49) Voluntary use means respirator use that is requested
by the employee and permitted by the employer when no
respiratory hazard exists.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.050 and 29 C.F.R. Subpart Z. 09-19-119, § 296-842-10200, filed 9/22/09, effective 12/1/09.]