RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

AIR QUALITY RISK ASSESSMENT

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 Key Points

 Risk assessment
 Steps of risk assessment
 Medical evaluation
 Air monitoring
 Basic monitoring techniques
 PEL
 IDLH
 Pre – entry
 Procedures if hazardous atmosphere is detected
 Entry procedures in a confine space
 Respiratory protection
 Types of gas/vapour contamination
 asbestos
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What is a risk assessment?
A risk assessment is the process of identifying what hazards
currently exist or may appear in the workplace. A risk assessment
defines which workplace hazards are likely to cause harm to
employees and visitors
identify what could cause injury or illness in your business
(hazards) decide how likely it is that someone could be harmed
and how seriously (the risk) take action to eliminate the hazard,
or if this isn't possible, control the risk
Risk should be assessed "every time there are new machines,
substances and procedures, which could lead to new hazards."
An employer should carry out a risk assessment: whenever a new
job brings in significant new hazards.

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 PART 26 – RISK IDENTIFICATION,
ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL- GWC 2003

 Section 66: OHS Risk Management

 To ensure the health and safety of his or her workers,
an employer shall undertake the necessary hazard
identification and risk assessment, and implement risk
control measures to eliminate or minimize to as far as
is practicable any OHS risks that may arise from the
employer’s undertaking that has the potential to harm
the health and safety of a worker or other person
within the employer’s workplace.
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 CHEMICAL &
D UST HAZARDS
(cleaning products, pesticides,
BIOLOGICAL asbestos, etc.)
ERGONOMIC
HAZARDS
HAZARDS
(mold, insects/ pests,
communicable diseases, etc.) (repetition, lifting, aw kward
W ORK postures, etc.)

O R G A N IZA T IO N
H A ZA R D S

Things that cause STRESS! ) PHYSICAL

SAFETY
HAZARDS
HAZARDS
(noise, temperature extremes,
radiation, etc.)
(slips, trips and falls, faulty
equipment, etc. )
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 CHEMICAL &
DUST HAZARDS
(cleaning products, pesticides,
BIOLOGICAL asbestos, etc.)
ERGONOMIC
HAZARDS
HAZARDS
(mold, insects/ pests,
communicable diseases, etc.) (repetition, lifting, awkward
W O RK postures, etc.)

O R G A N IZ A T IO N
H A ZA R D S
Things that cause STRESS! ) PHYSICAL
SAFETY
HAZARDS
HAZARDS
(noise, temperature extremes,
radiation, etc.)
(slips, trips and falls, faulty
equipment, etc. )
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 Code of Practice
A code of practice can be a document that complements occupational health
and safety laws and regulations to provide detailed practical guidance on how
to comply with legal obligations.
Codes of practice published do not replace the occupational health and safety
laws and regulations, and are generally issued in terms of those laws and
regulations. They are intended help understand how to comply with the
requirements of regulations. A workplace inspector can refer to a code of
practice when issuing an improvement or prohibition notice, and they may be
admissible in court proceedings. A court may use a code of practice to
establish what is reasonably practicable action to manage a specific risk.
Equivalent or better ways of achieving the required work health and safety
may be possible, so compliance with codes of practice is not usually
mandatory, providing that any alternative systems used provide a standard of
health and safety equal to or better than those recommended by the code of
practice.
Organizational codes of practice do not have the same authority under law,
but serve a similar purpose. 16
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Control Strategies

Hierarchy of controls

1. Elimination – remove hazards completely

2. Substitution- replace with less hazardous
3. Isolation- safeguard by space
4. Redesign- modify
5. Administration- training ,procedures,signage,posters
6. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
05/18/2023
05/18/2023
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 PART 15- PERSONAL
PROTECTION- GWC 2003
Section 54 Use of air supplied respiratory
equipment

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GWC 2003
PART 15

PERSONAL PROTECTION SECTION 53

 
 The employer shall ensure that personal protective equipment and
clothing of approved Standard is provided without cost to the workers
where a risk at work could be minimized by its use.
 
 If work at a place of work or any working conditions give rise to a
reasonably foreseeable risk to health or safety; and
 all practicable measures have been taken to control the risk, and
 the provision and use of personal protective equipment or clothing
would minimize the risk; the employer shall ensure that appropriate
personal protective equipment or clothing is provided, maintained
and used to approved Standard.
APPLICATIONS
OF STANDARDS

PART 23 GWC 2003 SECTION 62

 STANDARDS

Where in these Regulations there is any reference to the

application of any approved Standard, that reference shall
mean any
 Australian or New Zealand (AS / NZ) Standard the
application of which will ensure compliance with the
Regulations and any relevant Code of Practice.
 An approved Standard also include any British (BS),
 European (ES) or
 American (US) Standard where its application is
appropriate to ensure compliance with the Regulations
or any relevant Code of Practice.
CE

CE marking is a certification mark

that indicates conformity with health,
safety, and environmental protection
standards for products sold within the
European Economic Area. The CE
marking is also found on products
sold outside the EEA that have been
manufactured to EEA standards
Conformitè Europëenne
The Conformitè Europëenne (CE) Mark is
defined as the European Union's (EU)
mandatory conformity marking for regulating
the goods sold within the European Economic
Area (EEA) since 1985. The CE marking
represents a manufacturer's declaration that
products comply with the EU's New Approach
Directive
Respiratory Protection

 A respirator is a protective device that covers the nose and

mouth or the entire face or head to guard the wearer against
hazardous atmospheres. Respirators may be:
 Tight-fitting , half masks, which cover the mouth and nose and
full face pieces that cover the face from the hairline to below
the chin; or
 Loose-fitting, such as hoods or helmets that cover the head
completely.
 There are two major classes of respirators:
 Air-purifying, which remove contaminants from the air;
 Atmosphere-supplying, which provide clean, breathable air
from an uncontaminated source. As a general rule, atmosphere-
supplying respirators are used for more hazardous exposures.
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 Section 54 : Use of air supplied respiratory equipment

 If air supplied respiratory equipment is used in the performance of work

 The equipment shall supply air at a minimum rate of 170 litres per minute and the air shall contain not
less that 19.5% and not more than 22% oxygen.
 The air shall, before reaching the person using the equipment, be passed through-
 An efficient purifying device that ensures that air does not have an objectionable or nauseous odour and,

 An efficient conditioner that ensures that the air is supplied at a temperature not less than 15 degrees
Celsius and not more than 25 degrees Celsius and within a humidity range not less than 20% and not
more than 85 % .

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 Section 54 : Use of air supplied respiratory equipment

 An efficient condensed trap that is fitted with a drain cock to remove any condensed liquid;
 An efficient ring circuit or controlled leak – off system that eliminates stale air.
 Any equipment used to supply air to a person for breathing purposes shall be maintained in
efficient working order by a competent person.
 Be kept in a secured place where it cannot be contaminated or damaged.
 Be maintained in a way that ensures the air supply does not overheat.
 Incorporate fittings that cannot be connected to other compressed air equipment at the
workplace.
 If an auxiliary air supply is not provided; and an inadequacy in the air supply might present an
immediate hazard to the user of the equipment used to supply air for breathing purposes, then
an effective warning device shall be provided and properly maintained.

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AS/NZS 1715 Standard -selection, use and
maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
When respiratory protection is required as per the standard, a written respiratory
protection program should be established. That means the designated program
administrator must include the following:
 Assessment of exposure to airborne contaminants.
 Selection of appropriate respirators.
 Evaluation of employees’ health to make sure they can wear a respirator.
 Fit-testing and training of employees regularly.
 Inspection, repair, cleaning, storage and replacement of respirators as needed.
 Review of the program periodically to make sure it’s being run properly.
 Keeping a written record of all of the above

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 Medical evaluation

Medical evaluation

 Before fit tests are conducted and employee is

authorized the use of a respirator, a medical
evaluation must be provide to determine the ability
of the employee to use a respirator.

 Conducted by a registered medical Doctor

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AIR MONITORING

 The purpose of air monitoring is to identify and quantify airborne

contaminants in order to determine the level of worker protection needed
 An air quality monitor is a device that measures the level
common air pollutants. Monitors are available for both indoor and outdoor
settings. Sensor based instruments and air quality monitoring systems are
used widely in outdoor ambient applications
 Air quality is measured with the Air Quality Index, or AQI. The AQI
works like a thermometer that runs from 0 to 500 degrees. However,
instead of showing changes in the temperature, the AQI is a way of
showing changes in the amount of pollution in the air. Air quality is
a measure of how clean or polluted the air is

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Health Effects from Specific
Pollutants

 Aggravated respiratory disease such as emphysema,

bronchitis and asthma.
 Lung damage, even after symptoms such as coughing or
a sore throat disappear.
 Wheezing, chest pain, dry throat, headache or nausea.
 Reduced resistance to infections.
 Increased fatigue

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 Basic monitoring
techniques you might use

 observation.
 talking with people.
 monitoring work performance and output.
 monitoring absenteeism and staff turnover.
 employee surveys (before, during and after the
change)
 baseline measuring before and after the change.
 benchmarking with other work units

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Various Causes of Air pollution

 The burning of fossil fuels. Sulfur dioxide emitted from the

combustion of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and other factory
combustibles are one the major cause of air pollution.
 Agricultural activities.
 Exhaust from factories and industries.
 Mining operations.
 Indoor air pollution

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What is a PEL? The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) bases its air quality standards
on “permissible exposure limits,” or PEL's. A PEL is a
maximum amount of substance in the air that a worker
can be exposed to over the course of an eight-hour shift

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The term immediately dangerous to life or health
(IDLH) is defined by the US National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as
exposure to airborne contaminants that is "likely
to cause death or immediate or delayed
permanent adverse health effects or prevent
escape from such an environment

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 asbestos ?

What is asbestos
A highly heat-resistant fibrous silicate mineral that can be woven into fabrics, and is used in brake
linings and in fire-resistant and insulating materials.
"asbestos was used for pipe insulation

What is the purpose of asbestos usage?

Historical records show that asbestos has been used by man for over 4,000 years; in this century
it has been used in over 3,000 products including cement building materials, pipework lagging,
insulating mattresses and rope, fire resistant insulation boards, sprayed fire-proofing products,
floor tiles and coverings

Why asbestos is harmful to health?

Asbestos is dangerous because it has the ability to break down into microscopically thin fibers.
Once lodged in the lung tissue, these fibers can cause several serious diseases, including lung
cancer, asbestosis (a scarring of the lung tissue) and (cancer of the lining of the lung cavity)

What is asbestos made of?

Asbestos is made of naturally occurring fibrous minerals found in rocks and soil. These fibers are
so small that they cannot be seen. People exposed to asbestos unintentionally inhale or ingest
these toxic airborne particles
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 Learning outcomes

 Risk assessment
 Steps of risk assessment
 Medical evaluation
 Air monitoring
 Basic monitoring techniques
 PEL
 IDLH
 Pre – entry
 Procedures if hazardous atmosphere is detected
 Entry procedures in a confine space
 Respiratory protection
 Types of gas/vapour contamination
 asbestos
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