Employee Manual 2023 - Flipbook - Page 118
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Keep your respirator clean and well maintained.
Filters should be replaced if they become discolored, wet, or clogged.
Always inspect the respirator for cracks, misplaced or worn parts, and proper adjustment
before using it.
Respirators are an effective method of protection against designated hazards when properly
selected and worn. Respirator use is encouraged even when exposures are below the exposure
limit to provide an additional level of comfort and protection for the employee. However, if a
respirator is used improperly or not kept clean, the respirator itself can become a hazard to the
employee. Sometimes, employees may wear respirators to avoid exposures to hazards, even if the
amount of hazardous substance does not exceed the limits set by OSHA standards. If your
department head provides respirators for your voluntary use, or if you provide your own respirator,
you need to take certain precautions to be sure that the respirator itself does not present a hazard.
You should do the following:
• Read and heed all instructions provided by the manufacturer on use, maintenance, cleaning
and care and warnings regarding the respirator’s limitations.
• Choose respirators certified for use to protect against the contaminant of concern. NIOSH,
the National House of Occupational Safety and Health of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, certifies respirators. A label or statement of certification should appear on
the respirator or respirator packaging. It will tell you what the respirator is designed for and
how much it will protect you.
• Do not wear your respirator into atmospheres containing contaminants for which your
respirator is not designed to protect against. For example, a respirator designed to filter
dust particles will not protect you against gases, vapors, or very small solid particles of
fumes or smoke.
• Keep track of your respirator so that you do not mistakenly use someone else’s respirator.
Machine Exposure
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Operate powered equipment only if you have been trained on it.
Know how to immediately shut off the motor before you run the equipment.
Make sure that all guards are installed, and all safety devices operate properly. Safety
devices provided by the manufacturer should not be by-passed.
When you are finished using a piece of equipment, make sure all guards are in place and
secured.
Know how to correctly operate all controls.
Wear appropriate close-fitting clothing, so as not to become entangled.
Operate equipment in proper light.
Stop the motor when equipment is left unattended.
Inspect equipment regularly for looseness, wear, cracks, or other damage.
When servicing equipment where unexpected start-up could be hazardous, the equipment
must be de-energized, locked and tagged off.
City of Plymouth Employee manual - Page 118 – March 2023
