Michigan Tech Occupational Safety and Health Services

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Respiratory Protection Program

Respiratory Protection Index | Scope and Application | Responsibilities
Program Elements | Program Evaluation | Documentation and Recordkeeping

Purpose

Michigan Technological University has determined that certain employees are required to perform tasks involving actual or potential disturbance of asbestos containing materials which could result in respiratory exposures. These employees are trained to perform this work and at times may be required to wear a respirator. Other engineering and administrative methods are employed to control asbestos exposures during this work as required and appropriate.

A number of other tasks are performed by MTU employees that have the potential for exposure to harmful air contaminants. Engineering controls, for example laboratory fume hoods, have been provided to eliminate or reduce exposures to safe levels. It is the responsibility of faculty, supervisors, and managers to utilize these existing engineering controls as well as administrative controls to keep air contaminant exposures below the Michigan Occupational Health permissible exposure limit, PEL, if it exists. Where existing engineering controls are not adequate, it is their responsibility to determine the feasibility of installing additional engineering and administrative controls, including substitution of less toxic materials, necessary to maintain exposures below the PEL. It is highly encouraged that these engineering and administrative control methods be utilized to keep air contaminant concentrations not only below the PEL, but as low as reasonably feasible and below the applicable ACGIH threshold limit value, especially where a PEL does not exist. Respirators shall only be used to achieve compliance with a PEL when it is not feasible to do so with engineering or administrative controls. When respirators are used by employees at MTU, their use is subject to the requirements of this program and each request will be reviewed by Occupational Safety and Health Services.

In those cases where a respirator is desired during certain operations where it is not required by MTU, its use is also subject to the requirements of this program. Occupational Safety and Health Services will review each of these requests on a case-by-case basis.