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Environmental Health and Safety Blog | EHSWire

Top 10 Things to Know About Respiratory Protection & Fit Testing

Posted by Shivi Kakar

Jul 28, 2009 9:18:19 AM

Kevin Zeller

1. OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1910.134 details the requirements for a Respiratory Protection Program.

2. A Respiratory Protection Program is mandatory if any employee is required to wear any type of respirator during the course of their job.

3. The establishment and maintenance of a Respiratory Protection Program is the responsibility of the employer and must of: a written program, employee training, fit testing’ and medical surveillance.

4. All employees who will be issued respiratory protection must be medically cleared to wear a respirator before fit testing and donning a respirator

5. Only respirators which have been certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) should be used

6. Fit testing for respirators is done to determine the correct size respirator for the employee.

7. Fit testing is required for all positive and negative pressure tight fitting facepieces.

8. Fit testing can be accomplished by using either a qualitative agent (eg Bitrex) or quantitatively (eg., PORTACOUNT®) with a probed face piece.

9. Fit testing must be conducted: prior to initial issuance of a respirator; when a different facepiece is used; when an employee’s physical changes may affect facepiece fit; and annually thereafter.

10. Employees must conduct a user seal check each time they wear a respirator to assure they have donned and adjusted the facepiece correctly.
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Topics: NIOSH, OSHA, health and safety, General Industry H&S, Construction H&S, Emergency Response, H&S Training, Hazardous Waste Management, Compliance, Occupational Health, Occupational Safety, Lab Safety & Electrical, emergency response training, Fire Safety, Respiratory, Occupational Training, Safety Training in Spanish, EMT, Fit Testing

Top 10: Water Safety at Work and Play

Posted by Shivi Kakar

Jul 21, 2009 10:31:34 AM

Capt. John DeFillippo, CHMP, EMT-B


The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. It’s never too late and kids should learn to treat the water with respect at an early age. As a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, an EMT and a licensed captain working in marine salvage, I’ve seen my share of tragedies on the water. Sadly, nearly all were avoidable. Here are some tips to help you stay safe in and on the water this summer when on and off the clock.

At Play

1. Swim in a supervised, marked area with a lifeguard present and never swim alone.

2. Enter the water feet first. Enter the water headfirst only when the area is clearly marked for diving .

3. Adults should never leave a child unobserved around water. Practice "reach supervision" by staying within an arm's length when around the water.

4. If you are caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. Once you are free, turn and swim toward shore. You can't swim against a rip, don’t’ try.

5. Keep toys away from the pool when it is not in use. Toys can attract young children into the pool.

6. If a child is missing, check the pool first. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom, and surface, as well as the surrounding pool area.

7. Take a Safe Boating Course. Many states now require this for operation of vessels, including personal water craft or jet-skies. Check your local laws.

8. Learn CPR and Basic First Aid. Knowing what to do in an emergency can save a life.

9. Leave water rescue to those who are trained. Too many would-be rescuers become victims themselves.

At Work

10. Do you or your employees work on, near or over water? Did you know that there are specific OSHA regulations covering the safety of such workers including required training and protective equipment? If you have any questions or you’re not sure, reply to this post or visit our Twitter page - @Emilcott and send a DM.
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Topics: General Industry H&S, Construction H&S, H&S Training, Compliance, worker safety, Occupational Health, Occupational Safety, Safety Training in Spanish, water safety, EMT

Top Ten Things You Need to Know About…HEAT STRESS

Posted by Shivi Kakar

Jul 14, 2009 7:54:55 AM

Top Ten Things You Need to Know About…HEAT STRESS

Paula Kaufmann - CIH
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Topics: OSHA, health and safety, General Industry H&S, Construction H&S, Emergency Response, H&S Training, Hazardous Waste Management, Occupational Health, Occupational Safety, emergency response training, Fire Safety, Exposure, Respiratory, Occupational Training, Safety Training in Spanish

High Fidelity: EH&S Style

Posted by Shivi Kakar

Jul 9, 2009 11:32:36 AM

EHSWire.com's "Top 10 Tuesdays"



Here at EHSWire.com, we have decided to launch our 2009 “Summer Series” of blog posts. This year we will be devoted to a series called we’re calling “Top Ten Tuesdays”. Every Tuesday throughout the Summer one of our EHS professionals will post his/her blog specifically targeted towards their particular area of expertise. Each of these posts will be a “top 10”. The posts will include topics such as “Things You Should Know About…”, “Reasons Why…”, etc.

Every subject of EH&S is important for its own reasons; from knowing the standards and practices of a construction or waste site, to practicing proper safety training in a common work place, to going “green” for your own healthy lifestyle. There are always things that can be overlooked, or unknown from the get go. Our professionals are spending some of the 2009 Summer to write quality content about their specific subjects. This is all in the pursuit of keeping the readers of EHSWire.com up to date with standards, practices and compliance for at home, at work and everywhere in between.

We look forward to Tuesday’s (July 13th) post:

Top Ten Things You Need to Know About… HEAT STRESS
By: Paula Kaufmann - CIH
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Topics: OSHA, health and safety, H&S Training, Working Green

Beware of Companies Offering “OSHA Certified” Training

Posted by Shivi Kakar

Jun 23, 2009 9:26:07 AM

Looking for Safety & Health Training Services? Let the buyer beware!

John DeFillippo, CHMP
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Topics: Emilcott, OSHA, health and safety, Construction H&S, Emergency Response, H&S Training, Hazardous Waste Management, Occupational Training, Safety Training in Spanish

There is no OSHA in many developing nations

Posted by Shivi Kakar

Jun 11, 2009 9:38:16 AM

Sweatshop Conditions in Global Garment Factories – Efforts to Eliminate these Conditions

Paula Kaufmann - CIH
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Topics: OSHA, health and safety, General Industry H&S, H&S Training, Compliance, Occupational Health, Occupational Training, Safety Training in Spanish, Codes of Conduct

Swine Flu: Webinar

Posted by Shivi Kakar

May 12, 2009 10:26:21 AM

Swine Flu Webinar: Planning, Prevention and Response

Dale Wilson, CIH LEED AP
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Topics: health and safety, H&S Training, Compliance, Occupational Health, Occupational Training, Safety Training in Spanish, Swine Flu

Healthy Vision Month: Make sure you can see your future!

Posted by Shivi Kakar

May 7, 2009 11:12:51 AM

Martha Hernandez


The National Eye Institute (NEI) has deemed May “Healthy Vision Month”. This year they are emphasizing getting your eyes checked by an eye care professional. Over 11 million Americans have one of the most common (and correctable) vision problems in the United States; refractive errors.

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Topics: Personal Protective Equipment, health and safety, General Industry H&S, Construction H&S, H&S Training, Occupational Health, Occupational Training

The Swine Flu Panic: Were You Ready?

Posted by Shivi Kakar

May 5, 2009 9:19:53 AM

Pandemic Response Planning for Businesses

Dale Wilson - CIH, LEED AP
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Topics: health and safety, H&S Training, Compliance, Swine Flu

Safety Training Amidst the Melting Pot: The Importance of Effective and Understandable Training at the Workplace

Posted by Shivi Kakar

Apr 28, 2009 8:24:04 AM

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Topics: OSHA, health and safety, General Industry H&S, Construction H&S, H&S Training, Compliance, Occupational Health, Occupational Safety, emergency response training, Occupational Training, Safety Training in Spanish, Confined Space

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