There are many of us who take the air we breathe for granted. The air in our homes is certainly breathable, and the air in most workplaces is generally negligent in toxic gases or materials that make breathing difficult (well, except in the springtime, when those of us with allergies find plenty of not-breathable air wen there is pollen or spores floating about).

[Photo courtesy of Danielle_blue from Flickr via a Creative Commons license]Workplace respirators like this one are vital to keep workers safe in worksites with bad air or toxic fumes present. But equally important as the equipment is a proper respirator program for all supervisors and workers to use.

In the spirit of springtime and the pollination of flowers and trees, I want us to take a minute and think about those workers who do not work in healthy-air conditions – namely, those who work in mines or in chemical plants where toxic odors are prevalent … or even firefighters who often go into buildings that are burning and sending smoke and ash into the air for hundreds of feet around. These hard-working professionals need clean air to be able to breathe and do their jobs, and many of these people use respirators.

But do you know the different types of respirators? Do you know which ones your workers are using, and do you know if they are the right ones for your workers? And perhaps most importantly (what we will focus on here) – does your company have a respirator program to ensure the safety of your workers?

We will delve into the types of respirators and other important info in later posts, but for now I want to focus on the broader picture of a respirator program, what it is and how it could be implemented. Once a program is in place, the rest of this will fit nicely.

A respirator program, at least a good one, will cover all of the aspects of the Occupationa Health and Safety regulation regarding the use and maintenance of respirators. The program should cover three main areas:

* Alert supervisors and workers about the various breathing hazards in a workplace and how to best defend against them.

* Encourage a more efficient and safer way to use the respirators.

* Make it very easy to comply with state, provincial or federal regulations for safety.

It is highly encouraged that the program be overseen and coordinated by a single administrator who has experience  with respirators to effectively execute the program. The program should cover such items as proper procedures for using, storing, cleaning and maintaining respirators, proper assessment of workers in terms of their medical fitness in using respirators, as well as the proper way to document any incidents surrounding respirators or breathing hazards.

A good example source of the description and implementation of a respirator program can be found in this PDF provided by WorkSafeBC. The program is covered in section 4 and provides general guidelines that can be adapted to fit a specific industry or company’s needs.

Make sure your workers breathe easy at every opportunity, and codify a system whereby all workers can be assured of having quality air to breathe while they work.