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What respirator is required when cleaning out a house that has burned down

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Respiratory Protection for Residential Fire Cleanup ===================================================

This document outlines the respiratory protection requirements for workers involved in residential fire cleanup, considering potential exposure to asbestos, heavy metals, and particulate matter. It emphasizes compliance with OSHA regulations to ensure worker safety.

Hazard Assessment

Residential fire cleanup presents several respiratory hazards:

  • Asbestos: Disturbance of asbestos-containing materials (ACM) during demolition or debris removal can release airborne fibers.
  • Heavy Metals: Ash and debris may contain heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium.
  • Particulate Matter: Smoke, soot, and dust generated during and after a fire contain fine particulate matter that can be inhaled.
  • Combustion Byproducts: Fires produce various toxic gases and vapors, including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and hydrocarbons.

Regulatory Requirements

OSHA regulations mandate the use of appropriate respiratory protection when workers are exposed to hazardous airborne contaminants. Key regulations include:

  • 29 CFR 1910\.134: General Respiratory Protection Standard, which outlines requirements for respirator programs, fit testing, and selection.
  • 29 CFR 1926\.1101: Asbestos Standard for Construction, which specifies respirator requirements for asbestos work.
  • 29 CFR 1910\.1000: Air Contaminants Standard, which sets permissible exposure limits (PELs) for various hazardous substances.

Respirator Selection

Considering the potential for exposure to asbestos, heavy metals, and particulate matter, the following types of respirators are recommended for residential fire cleanup:

  • Air-Purifying Respirators (APRs) with HEPA Filters:
  • These respirators are suitable when the concentration of airborne contaminants is known and does not exceed the respirator's assigned protection factor (APF).
  • HEPA filters are essential for removing asbestos fibers and particulate matter with high efficiency.
  • APRs can be half-facepiece or full-facepiece, with full-facepiece respirators providing additional eye protection.
  • Filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), such as N95 masks, are generally not recommended for asbestos work.
  • Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) with HEPA Filters:
  • PAPRs use a blower to force air through the filter, providing a higher level of protection and reducing breathing resistance.
  • PAPRs are a good option when workers find negative-pressure respirators uncomfortable or have difficulty breathing.
  • Supplied-Air Respirators (SARs):
  • SARs provide clean air from an external source, such as a compressed air tank or compressor.
  • SARs are suitable for situations where the concentration of airborne contaminants is very high or unknown, or where the oxygen level is low.
  • Full facepiece supplied-air respirators operated in pressure-demand mode equipped with HEPA egress cartridges or an auxiliary positive-pressure, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are required when performing Class I asbestos work for which a negative exposure assessment is not available and the exposure assessment indicates that the exposure level will be at or below 1 f/cc as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).
  • A full facepiece supplied-air respirator operated in the pressure-demand mode and equipped with an auxiliary positive-pressure SCBA is required when the exposure assessment of the area indicates the exposure level will be above 1 f/cc as an 8-hour TWA.

Specific Respirator Recommendations Based on Asbestos Exposure Levels:

  • If airborne asbestos fiber concentrations do not exceed 1\.0 f/cc, air-purifying respirators equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can be used.
  • If airborne asbestos fiber concentrations exceed 1\.0 f/cc, more protective respirators such as air-supplied, positive-pressure, full facepiece respirators must be used.

Respirator Program Requirements

OSHA requires a comprehensive respiratory protection program that includes:

  • Written Program: A written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures.
  • Respirator Selection: Selecting respirators appropriate for the hazards present.
  • Medical Evaluation: Providing medical evaluations to determine employees' ability to use respirators.
  • No employee shall be assigned to asbestos work that requires respirator use if, based on their most recent medical examination, the examining physician determines that the employee will be unable to function normally while using a respirator, or that the safety or health of the employee or other employees will be impaired by the employee's respirator use.
  • Fit Testing: Conducting initial and periodic fit testing to ensure proper respirator fit.
  • For effective protection, respirators must fit your face and head snugly. Your employer is required to conduct a fit test when you are first assigned a respirator and every 6 months thereafter.
  • Workers with beards, long sideburns, or even stubble may not wear respirators because the hair breaks the seal between the skin and the respirator mask. Wearing eyeglasses could also break the respirator seal.
  • Training: Providing training on respirator use, maintenance, and limitations.
  • Maintenance and Storage: Ensuring respirators are properly maintained and stored.
  • Change Schedules: Cartridges or canisters shall be replaced every 3 hours when the concentration of airborne BD is less than or equal to 10 ppm (10 times PEL). Cartridges or canisters shall be replaced every 2 hours when the concentration of airborne BD is less than or equal to 25 ppm (25 times PEL). Cartridges or canisters shall be replaced every (1\) hour when the concentration of airborne BD is less than or equal to 50 ppm (50 times PEL).

Additional Protective Measures

  • Protective Clothing: Wear appropriate protective clothing, including coveralls, gloves, and foot coverings, to prevent skin contamination.
  • You are required to wear protective clothing in work areas where asbestos fiber concentrations exceed the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0\.1 f/cc.
  • Hygiene Practices: Practice good hygiene, including washing hands and face thoroughly after work and before eating, drinking, or smoking.
  • Decontamination: Establish decontamination procedures to minimize the spread of contaminants.

Conclusion

Selecting the appropriate respirator and implementing a comprehensive respiratory protection program are critical for protecting workers during residential fire cleanup. Compliance with OSHA regulations and adherence to best practices will help minimize the risk of respiratory hazards and ensure a safe working environment.

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[1] Respirators - Respirator Selection

Page 4

Open source document

Source excerpt

# Respirators - Respirator Selection (cont.) ## Are there some things that you should know before you choose a respirator? (cont.) Workers with beards, long sideburns, or even stubble may not wear respirators because the hair breaks the seal between the skin and the respirator mask. Wearing eyeglasses could also break the respirator seal. This break means that the respirator mask will "leak" and will not provide the needed respiratory protection. Also, if a worker has facial scars or acne, the facial skin may not be able to form a good seal with a respirator mask. ## What are the different classes of respirators? The two main types are air-purifying respirators (APRs) and supplied-air respirators (SARs). Air-purifying respirators can remove contaminants in the air that you breathe by filtering out particulates (such as dusts, metal fumes, mists, etc.). Other APRs purify air by adsorbing gases or vapours on a sorbent (adsorbing material) in a cartridge or canister. They are tight- fitting and are available in several forms: - Mouth bit respirator (fits in the mouth and comes with a nose clip to hold nostrils closed - for escape purposes only) - Quarter-mask (covering the nose and mouth) - Half-facepiece mask (covering the face from the nose to below the chin) - Full facepiece (covering the face from above the eyes to below the chin) Respirators with a full facepiece also protect the eyes from exposure to irritating chemicals. Supplied-air respirators (SARs) supply clean air from a compressed air tank or through an air line. This air is not from the work room area. The air supplied in tanks or from compressors must meet certain standards for purity and moisture content (such as CSA Standard Z180.1 Compressed Breathing Air and Systems). Supplied-air respirators may have either tight-fitting or loose-fitting respiratory inlets. Respirators with tight-fitting respiratory inlets have half or full facepieces. Types with loose- fitting respiratory inlets can …

[2] Safety and Health Regulations for Construction (OSHA 29 CFR 1926) - 1926.1101 App H - Substance Technical Information for Asbestos - Non-Mandatory

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# Occupational Safety and Health Administration (cont.) ## Appendix H to § 1926.1101-Substance Technical Information for Asbestos. Non-Mandatory (cont.) D. Permissible exposure: Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers may not exceed 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter of air (0.1 f/cc) averaged over the 8-hour workday, and 1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air (1.0 f/cc) averaged over a 30 minute work period. - II. Health Hazard Data A. Asbestos can cause disabling respiratory disease and various types of cancers if the fibers are inhaled. Inhaling or ingesting fibers from contaminated clothing or skin can also result in these diseases. The symptoms of these diseases generally do not appear for 20 or more years after initial exposure. B. Exposure to asbestos has been shown to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancer of the stomach and colon. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the thin membrane lining of the chest and abdomen. Symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath, pain in the walls of the chest, and/or abdominal pain. - III. Respirators and Protective Clothing A. Respirators: You are required to wear a respirator when performing tasks that result in asbestos exposure that exceeds the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 f/cc and when performing certain designated operations. Air-purifying respirators equipped with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter can be used where airborne asbestos fiber concentrations do not exceed 1.0 f/cc; otherwise, more protective respirators such as air-supplied, positive-pressure, full facepiece respirators must be used. Disposable respirators or dust masks are not permitted to be used for asbestos work. For effective protection, respirators must fit your face and head snugly. Your employer is required to conduct a fit test when you are first assigned a respirator and every 6 months thereafter. Respirators should not be loosened or removed in work situations where their use is required. B. Protective Clothing:…

[3] Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHA 29 CFR 1910) - 1910.1051 - 1,3-Butadiene

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# Respiratory protection- (cont.) ## Respirator selection. (cont.) <table><tr><th>Concentration of airborne BD (ppm) or condition of use</th><th></th></tr><tr><td>Minimum required respirator</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Less than or equal to 10 ppm (10 times PEL)</td><td>(a) Air-purifying half mask or full facepiece respirator equipped with approved BD or organic vapor cartridges or canisters. Cartridges or canisters shall be replaced every 3 hours.</td></tr><tr><td>Less than or equal to 25 ppm (25 times PEL)</td><td>(a) Air-purifying full facepiece respirator equipped with approved BD or organic vapor cartridges or canisters. Cartridges or canisters shall be replaced every 2 hours.</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>(b) Any powered air-purifying respirator equipped with approved BD or organic vapor cartridges. PAPR cartridges shall be replaced every 2 hours.</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>(c) Continuous flow supplied air respirator equipped with a hood or helmet.</td></tr><tr><td>Less than or equal to 50 ppm (50 times PEL)</td><td>(a) Air-purifying full facepiece respirator equipped with approved BD or organic vapor cartridges or canisters. Cartridges or canisters shall be replaced every (1) hour.</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>(b) Powered air-purifying respirator equipped with a tight-fitting facepiece and an approved BD or organic vapor cartridges. PAPR cartridges shall be replaced every (1) hour.</td></tr><tr><td>Less than or equal to 1,000 ppm (1,000 times PEL)</td><td>(a) Supplied air respirator equipped with a half mask of full facepiece and operated in a pressure demand or other positive pressure mode.</td></tr><tr><td>Greater than 1000 ppm unknown concentration, or firefighting</td><td>(a) Self-contained breathing apparatus equipped with a full facepiece and operated in a pressure demand or other positive pressure mode.</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>(b) Any supplied air respirator equipped with a full facepiece and operated in a pressure demand or other positive pressure mode in c…

[4] Construction Safety Orders (CAL/OSHA)

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## §1529. Asbestos. (cont.) (B) No employee shall be assigned to asbestos work that requires respirator use if, based on their most recent medical examination, the examining physician determines that the employee will be unable to function normally while using a respirator, or that the safety or health of the employee or other employees will be impaired by the employee's respirator use. Such employees must be assigned to another job or given the opportunity to transfer to a different position that they can perform. If such a transfer position is available, it must be with the same employer, in the same geographic area, and with the same seniority, status, rate of pay, and other job benefits the employee had just prior to such transfer. (3) Respirator selection. (A) The employer shall select, and provide to employees, the appropriate respirators as specified in Section 5144(d)(3)(A)1; however, employers shall not select or use filtering facepiece respirators for use against asbestos fibers. (B) The employer shall provide HEPA filters for powered and non-powered air-purifying respirators. (C) The employer shall provide a tight fitting powered, air- purifying respirator in lieu of any negative- pressure respiratorselected according to subsection (h)(3)(A) whenever: 1. An employee chooses to use this type of respirator; and 2. This respirator will provide adequate protection to the employee. (D) The employer shall provide a half-mask air purifying respirator, other than a filtering facepiece respirator, equipped with high efficiency filters whenever the employee performs: 1. Class II and III asbestos work and a negative exposure assessment has not been conducted by the employer; 2. Class III jobs where TSI or surfacing ACM or PACM is being disturbed. (E) In addition to the above selection criteria, when employees are in a regulated area where Class I work is being performed, a negative exposure assessment of the area has not been produced, and the exposu…

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