OP 60.05: Respiratory Protection Program

[Major revision–posted 10/13/26 (replaces 11/11/22 edition)]

Texas Tech University Double T

Operating Policy and Procedure

OP 60.05: Respiratory Protection Program

DATE: October 13, 2026

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Texas Tech University (TTU) respiratory protection program is to ensure the protection of all employees, students, and contractors who are required to wear a filtering facepiece (FFP) or a respirator while performing their duties or who wear one voluntarily.

REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed every two years after publication by the Assistant Vice President for Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) and the Senior Managing Director of Planning and Design within Facilities & Campus Services. Substantive revisions will be forwarded to the Senior Associate Vice President for Facilities & Campus Services.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

1. Definitions

a. Air-Purifying Respirator (APR) – A respirator that removes contaminants from the air through filters, cartridges, or canisters before the air is inhaled.

b. Change-Out Schedule – The required replacement interval for respirator cartridges or filters based on manufacturer instructions or objective data to prevent breakthrough.

c. End-of-Service Life Indicator (ESLI) – A device or feature that alerts the user when a respirator cartridge or filter is no longer effective and must be replaced.

d. Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) – The TTU department responsible for approving respirator use, overseeing training, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

e. Filtering Facepiece (FFP) – A tight‑fitting particulate respirator, such as an N95, that filters airborne particles (e.g., dust) and covers the nose and mouth.

f. Fit Test – A procedure to ensure a respirator properly seals to the wearer’s face, either through qualitative or quantitative methods.

g. Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) – Conditions that pose an immediate threat to life, cause irreversible health effects, or hinder escape.

h. Medical Clearance – Written approval from a physician or licensed healthcare professional confirming that an individual is medically able to wear a respirator.

i. NIOSH Certification – Approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health confirming that a respirator meets federal safety and performance requirements.

j. Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) – A respirator that uses a powered blower to filter air and supply purified air to the user.

k. Respirator – A device used to protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous airborne contaminants such as particulates, gases, or vapors.

l. Supplied-Air Respirator (SAR) – A respirator that delivers clean breathing air from a separate source through an airline or hose.

m. Voluntary Use – Wearing a respirator when it is not required by hazard assessment but allowed under OSHA guidelines as long as safe-use conditions are met.

2. Intent

Employee, student, and contractor protection will be accomplished by complying with requirements in 29 CFR 1910.134, 1910.1001, and 40 CFR 763.121 Subpart G. No employee or student will be given an FFP or respirator or be instructed to use one without approval from EHS.

Respirators or FFPs shall be used only where engineering or administrative controls are not feasible or do not adequately control the hazard, and where a respirator assigned protection factor is sufficient for respiratory wearer protection.

TTU will also comply with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134, Appendix D, by providing required information to any employee or student who voluntarily chooses to use an FFP (e.g., N95).

3. Applicability

This standard only applies to the following types of respirators: N95 filtering facepieces, half- and full-face air-purifying respirators, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs), and supplied-air respirators. Paper dust masks and cloth-type masks are not covered under this standard.

4. Responsibilities

a. TTU EHS is the authority for approving respirators and monitoring their use. The Occupational Safety Manager is the approval authority for requests to use respirators and directs employees or students into the program. Supervisors and users of FFPs or respirators in each department will be responsible for following this policy and guidance provided by EHS.

b. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring employees meet all program requirements before performing work requiring respirators, identifying new or changed tasks that may require respiratory protection, and coordinating with EHS for selection and approvals.

c. Contractors required to use FFPs or other respirators while performing work on TTU projects shall provide verifiable documentation demonstrating full compliance with their company’s written Respiratory Protection Program. Failure to provide such documentation may result in suspension of work or other contractual remedies as determined by TTU.

5. Training

a. All employees or students required to wear an FFP or respirator will be trained annually in the proper use and limitations of the equipment. The program participants must be given time to handle the respirator and wear it in a normal air situation. They must adjust the equipment until it is comfortable and wear the mask for at least five minutes before a fit test is performed. Those program participants required to wear respirators in IDLH atmospheres shall be trained in rescue procedures. (Note: Only pressure-demand full facepiece SAR or self-contained breathing apparatus will be allowed in IDLH atmospheres.) EHS will retain training records for all personnel requiring training.

b. Initial training shall be provided before first use, with retraining as needed when changes in the workplace or type of respirator render previous training obsolete, when improper use is observed, or when otherwise required.

c. EHS will maintain training records for at least one year or until the next training, whichever is longer, per 29 CFR 1910.134(m).

d. Training will include the following:

The nature of respiratory hazards and what could happen if respiratory protection is not worn properly;
Engineering and administrative controls being used and the added protection of the respirator;
Reasons for the selection of respirator types;
The limitations of the respirator;
Methods for donning and checking for proper fit; and
Proper maintenance, cleaning, sanitizing, and storage of respirators.

6. Fit Testing

a. Fit testing will be performed annually by EHS to ensure all employees or students required to wear respirators have equipment that fits and functions properly. (Note: PAPR units that are not tight-fitting do not require a fit test. The user will still be required to come into EHS offices and demonstrate the unit is in good repair and that they can properly don, doff, and operate the PAPR.)

b. Some factors to be considered regarding respirator use and fit testing are:

(1) Facial Hair – Any facial hair along the sealing area of the respirator, such as beards, sideburns, mustaches, or even a few days’ growth of stubble, will not be permitted on employees who are required to wear a respirator. This facial hair will prevent a good face-to-facepiece seal. EHS will not approve or fit test employees or students for respirator use if interfering facial hair is present. The supervisor must not allow a respirator wearer to enter a contaminated work area when conditions prevent a good seal of the respirator.

(2) Eyeglasses – Ordinary eyeglasses shall not be worn with a full-face respirator because the temple bars will prevent a good face-to-facepiece seal of the mask. Special corrective lenses are available that can be mounted inside the mask.

(3) Contact Lenses – Wearing contact lenses is acceptable while using a respirator. (Note: For half-face respirators, employees who wear contact lenses should assess the work environment for potential eye irritants prior to use.)

(4) Facial Abnormalities – Facial abnormalities such as scars, deep skin creases, prominent cheekbones, severe acne, or the lack of teeth or dentures can prevent a respirator from sealing properly.

c. During fit testing, the employee or student shall be trained to don and adjust the respirator correctly. After donning and adjusting the mask, the program participants shall perform positive and negative pressure checks. To perform a positive pressure check, the program participants shall seal the exhalation valve with their hand and exhale lightly into the mask. This should cause the mask to expand without leaking around the seal. If there is a leak, the mask must be reset to the face to obtain a good seal. In order to perform a negative pressure check, the program participants shall seal the inhalation ports or filters and draw air into the lungs to cause the mask to collapse on the face. If the mask holds this position until the program participants exhale, the fit is good. EHS will perform a quantitative fit test on the program participants because this type of test offers the most accurate, detailed information on respirator fit. It measures particles in the outside air and inside the respirator while the wearer performs exercises that could induce facepiece leakage. The particle count outside and inside the facepiece is then compared, and a fit factor calculated.

d. Fit testing must be conducted prior to initial use; whenever a different make, model, style, or size is used; and whenever changes in the user’s physical condition could affect fit (e.g., facial scarring, dental changes, cosmetic surgery, or significant weight change).

e. Employees or students using tight-fitting respirators must be clean-shaven where the respirator seals to the face on all days the respirator is used, not only during fit testing.

f. Fit tests shall follow OSHA protocols in 29 CFR 1910.134, Appendix A (qualitative or quantitative, as appropriate to the respirator).

g. Fit test and result records will be retained by EHS for at least one year or until the next fit test is conducted, whichever is longer.

7. Medical Examinations

Employees or students assigned to tasks that require wearing a respirator must be physically able to perform the work while using the respirator. Every year, each respirator wearer must obtain medical clearance from a physician prior to fit testing and use, and be reevaluated when reported symptoms, workplace conditions, or clinician recommendations indicate a need for reevaluation. This may be accomplished through a medical examination or use of the questionnaire in 29 CFR 1910.134, Appendix C, which is then evaluated by a physician or other licensed health care professional.

No employee or student will be approved or fit tested for respirator use by EHS without current medical clearance that they are medically qualified to perform their duties while wearing a respirator. Medical records will be retained by the service provider for at least the duration of employment plus thirty (30) years.

8. Inspection, Cleaning, Maintenance, and Storage

a. All respirators must be inspected for wear and deterioration of their components before and after each use. Special attention should be given to rubber, silicone, or plastic parts that can deteriorate. The facepiece, especially the sealing surface, headband, valves, and filters, must be in good condition. All self-contained breathing apparatus must be inspected at least monthly. Air cylinders must be fully charged at all times. Regulators and warning devices must be checked to ensure their proper function. Records must be kept of inspection dates and findings. Cylinders may only be filled with air that meets the standards for grade D medical or breathing air. Gaskets, seals, fittings, and regulators shall be inspected on all PAPRs and air-line respirators before and after each use.

b. Chemical cartridges and filters shall be replaced in accordance with manufacturer change-out schedules, objective data, or ESLIs, or sooner if odor, taste, or irritation is detected. Respirator repairs must be made only by experienced persons and using only parts from the same manufacturer specifically for that respirator model. Respirators shall be cleaned after each use. This can be done with towelettes or cleaning solution designed for that purpose. In addition to this cleaning, respirators shall be disassembled, thoroughly cleaned, and sanitized at least twice a year (more often if used in very dirty environments). This will prolong the life of the respirator and lessen the chances of constant re-infection if the employee contracts a cold or other virus. The cleaning and sanitizing shall be accomplished as follows:

Remove all filters and cartridges.
Disassemble the respirator.
Wash the respirator in a mild soap solution using a sponge or soft brush.
While the respirator is disassembled, inspect it and replace any worn parts.
Rinse in clean, warm running water.
A thorough rinse will remove all soap solutions that might irritate the face or damage the respirator.
To disinfect the respirator, add one tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of water in a sink or container.
Immerse the respirator parts in this solution and allow to stand for two minutes.
Remove parts, thoroughly rinse under warm running water.
Allow to air dry or blot dry with a clean, lint-free cloth.
Reassemble the respirator.
At least once a year, the inhalation and exhalation valves must be replaced during the cleaning procedure.

c. Respirators must be stored in a manner to protect against dust, sunlight, extreme heat or cold, excessive moisture, or damaging chemicals. A heavy-duty resealable plastic bag is recommended for respirator storage. Store the respirator in a position to prevent mechanical damage from occurring. Respirators shall be stored so that facepieces and exhalation valves rest in a normal position to prevent the mask from becoming deformed. Respirators shall never be hung from their straps or stored in a contaminated environment.

9. Respirator Use and Approval

a. For employees and students only, NIOSH-certified respirators approved and fitted by EHS will be used at the university. Where required, all respirators, other than those for emergency use, will be issued on an individual basis and not shared among employees. As part of the fit test, EHS will provide specific information about the manufacturer’s respirator, model, size, and cartridges the employee is authorized to wear. This combination of equipment only protects the individual from the hazards identified in their work environment and should never be used as protection against any other hazards. If a program participant encounters new or unusual hazards, they should contact EHS for advice concerning protection from those hazards. The program participants should not assume their respirator provides protection. The selection of respiratory protection equipment will be based on the characteristics of the hazardous substance, the concentration present, and the limitations of the respiratory protection equipment itself.

b. Tight-fitting respirators must not be worn with PPE or gear that interferes with the face-to-facepiece seal (e.g., certain hoods, face shields, or welding helmets without compatible adapters).

c. Employees and students must leave the respirator use area if the respirator malfunctions, breathing becomes difficult, dizziness or distress occurs, or if they detect contamination odor/taste (for APRs with ESLIs), and must notify their supervisor/EHS.

10. Voluntary Respirator Use

Employees and students may elect to wear FFPs in the workplace even when a hazard assessment has determined that no airborne health risk exists. (Note: This standard does not address the use of respiratory protection such as paper dust masks. They may be used without any specific requirements.)

In this case, the following conditions apply.

a. TTU is not obligated to provide a respirator for an individual who elects to use the device voluntarily.

b. Respirators selected must be certified by NIOSH. A label or statement of certification should appear on the respirator or respirator packaging.

c. Should an employee or student voluntarily elect to wear a respirator covered under this OP, they shall be provided with a copy of Appendix D to 29 CFR 1910.134 (Information for Employees Using Respirators When not Required Under the Standard). The Appendix D Voluntary Use Form shall be reviewed, signed, and returned to EHS. Fit testing and medical evaluations are not required for voluntary use of FFPs.

d. Voluntary users of respirators must follow the use, care, inspection, and cleaning guidelines in this OP and sign the Appendix D Voluntary Use Form.

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Email
officialpublications@ttu.edu

OP 60.05: Respiratory Protection Program

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