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Home > Departments > Environment, Health & Safety > EH&S Programs > Industrial Hygiene > Respiratory Protection

Respiratory Protection

The best way to control occupational diseases caused by breathing air contaminated with potentially harmful dusts, fumes, sprays, mists, fogs, smokes, vapors, or gases is to minimize workplace contamination and atmospheric contamination. This shall be accomplished as far as feasible by accepted engineering control measures (for example, enclosure or confinement of the operation, and general or local ventilation, and substitution of less toxic materials). Administrative Controls (for example, training, restricting access to hazardous areas, limiting time or maximizing distance,) shall be used where possible when engineering controls do not eliminate hazards.

Personal protective equipment such as respirators shall be used only if engineering controls are not feasible, while they are being implemented or evaluated, or in emergencies.

EH&S can assist you in selecting an appropriate respirator, based on the respiratory hazard(s) to which the you are exposed and workplace and user factors that affect respirator performance and reliability.