Worker Protections

Respiratory Protection 

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American workers are protected by respiratory protection.
Respiratory Protection

Respiratory Protection  Buyers Guide

Respiratory Protection  Worker Protections

Respiratory protection refers to equipment worn by workers to protect them against inhaling hazardous gases, vapors, particulates, chemical agents, biological contaminants, radiological particles, or other hazards. Products include the full range of respiratory protection equipment for industry, mining, healthcare, fire services, and emergency response, and the military – disposable filtering facepiece masks, half-mask or full-facepiece air-purifying respirators, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), supplied-air respirators and hoods, and self-contained breathing apparatus.

Federal Standards & Regulation

Respiratory protection is addressed in specific OSHA standards for general industry, maritime, and construction.

OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1910.134 requires the use of NIOSH-approved respirators and a respiratory protection program to include medical evaluations, training, and fit testing.

OSHA Respiratory Protection Standards
NIOSH Respirator Standards

Types of Respiratory Protection

There are two main types of respiratory protection:

  • air-purifying respirators (APRs)
  • atmosphere-supplying respirators (ASRs).


Each respirator type provides a different level of protection based on its design. It’s important to choose the right type of respirator for the specific exposure. To do that, you must identify all respiratory hazards in your environment and the amount of exposure.

Additional Resources

Respiratory Protection Information

Verify Your Respirator

NIOSH’s Certified Equipment List is a tool to help users select appropriate respirators and confirm respirators are NIOSH-approved.

Search the Certified Equipment List

ISEA is represented on the following standards committees and panels:

  • ANSI Z88 – Respiratory Protection
  • ANSI Z117 – Confined Spaces
  • ANSI Z10 – Occupational Health and Safety Systems
  • ANSI Homeland Security Standards Panel
  • ASTM E54 – Committee on Homeland Security Applications – E54.4 – PPE
  • NFPA Technical Correlating Committee – Fire & Emergency Service Protective Clothing & Equipment
  • NFPA Technical Committee on Electronic Safety Equipment
  • NFPA Technical Committee on Respiratory Protection & Personal Alarm Equipment
  • NFPA Technical Committee on Gas Hazards
  • US TAG Administrator, ISO TC 94/SC15 – Respiratory Protection
  • International Society for Respiratory Protection (ISRP) – sponsor

Respiratory Protection  Product Group Members

Buyers Guide

Protecting Workers from Head to Toe

Our members are here to bring your workers the protection they need with the quality you expect.

Respiratory Protection

Respiratory Protection

Protective Apparel

Protective Apparel

Hand Protection

Hand Protection

Instruments

Instruments

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High Visibility Products

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Heat Stress Solutions

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