Five Modules
Airborne hazards
Particulates (dust, fume, mist), gases and vapors, and oxygen deficiency — and why each needs a different answer.
Respirator types
Filtering facepieces, half- and full-face air-purifying respirators, PAPRs and supplied-air units, and what each can and can't handle.
Medical evaluation and fit testing
Why both must happen before you wear a tight-fitting respirator on the job.
Seal checks and facial hair
Positive and negative pressure checks every time you put it on, and why stubble breaks the seal.
Care and maintenance
Cleaning, inspection, storage and changing cartridges on schedule.
Objectives
Identify respiratory hazards: dusts, fumes, vapors, gases and oxygen deficiency
Distinguish respirator types and the hazards each is designed for
Perform user seal checks and explain why fit testing is required
Maintain, clean and store respirators so they protect on the next shift
Seal Check vs. Fit Test
| User seal check | Fit test | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does it | The wearer | A trained tester using a qualitative or quantitative method |
| When | Every time the respirator is put on | Before first use, at least annually, and when fit may change |
| What it confirms | The respirator is seated correctly today | This make, model and size fits your face |
Program Rules and Crane-Site Exposures
29 CFR 1910.134 requires a written respiratory protection program wherever respirators are necessary, including medical evaluation, fit testing, and training before first use and at least annually. Construction follows the same standard through 1926.103. Voluntary use of a filtering facepiece has lighter requirements, explained in the standard's Appendix D.
Lift crews don't usually think of themselves as respirator users, but exposures show up: riggers next to concrete cutting and coring (where OSHA's respirable crystalline silica rule for construction, 1926.1153, may apply), welding and cutting during crane assembly, and work in or near confined spaces. If asbestos might be present, start with asbestos awareness.
The care module is practical: how to inspect straps, valves and facepieces before each use, how to store a respirator so the facepiece doesn't deform, and how cartridge change schedules work for gases and vapors, since most cartridges give no reliable warning when they're spent.
Who Should Take It
- Workers in a respirator program
- Welders and cutters
- Concrete cutting and coring crews
- Painters and blasters
- Confined space entrants
- Program administrators
Online training is one piece
Employers must still provide medical evaluation, conduct fit tests, select certified respirators and run the written program. This course covers the knowledge workers need; it cannot replace a fit test.