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PPE: RESPIRATORY PROTECTION Getty Images, under license to T&M Associates Breathing Easier: The Importance of an Effective Respiratory Protection Program A solid respiratory protection program includes understanding the hazards, having the right types of respirators and filters or cartridges, and ensuring workers know how to use and maintain them properly. BY TOM BURGESS, M.S., CSP, CIH I’ve seen it often in several workplaces, and most people don’t know how dangerous and ineffective it can be. People may hold onto respirators and cartridges for years, without knowing that those trusty chemical cartridges inside have a limited shelf life and must be replaced regularly. It’s a clas- sic case of thinking you’re fully protected, but you’re not. And that’s not all. Picture this: you have a dirty work area, and what do you find hanging on the wall next to where employees hang their jackets? Respirators! Collecting whatever is in the air that they are intended to be providing protection from. And that’s when the importance of having a solid respiratory protection program comes into play. It takes more than just issu- ing respirators to make sure they are providing the protection we want. That includes making sure we understand the hazards and have the right types of respirators and filters or cartridges, that workers know how to use them properly, and observing how they 28 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2023 www.ohsonline.com