United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States National Archives and Records Administration Office of the Federal Register author aut Government Organization text government publication eng FR Regulatory Information 1998_register executive 2010-09-24 article Part II Rules and Regulations D09002ee1be006f8d D09002ee1be007065 United States Department of Labor originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency This final standard, which replaces the respiratory protection standards adopted by OSHA in 1971 (29 CFR 1910.134 and 29 CFR 1926.103), applies to general industry, construction, shipyard, longshoring, and marine terminal workplaces. The standard requires employers to establish or maintain a respiratory protection program to protect their respirator-wearing employees. The standard contains requirements for program administration; worksite-specific procedures; respirator selection; employee training; fit testing; medical evaluation; respirator use; respirator cleaning, maintenance, and repair; and other provisions. The final standard also simplifies respirator requirements for employers by deleting respiratory provisions in other OSHA health standards that duplicate those in the final standard and revising other respirator-related provisions to make them consistent. In addition, the standard addresses the use of respirators in Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) atmospheres, including interior structural firefighting. During interior structural firefighting (an IDLH atmosphere by definition), self-contained breathing apparatus is required, and two firefighters must be on standby to provide assistance or perform rescue when two firefighters are inside the burning building. Based on the record in this rulemaking and the Agency's own experience in enforcing its prior respiratory protection standards, OSHA has concluded that compliance with the final rule will assist employers in protecting the health of employees exposed in the course of their work to airborne contaminants, physical hazards, and biological agents, and that the standard is therefore necessary and appropriate. The final respiratory protection standard covers an estimated 5 million respirator wearers working in an estimated 1.3 million workplaces in the covered sectors. OSHA's benefits analysis predicts that the standard will prevent many deaths and illnesses among respirator-wearing employees every year by protecting them from exposure to acute and chronic health hazards. OSHA estimates that compliance with this standard will avert hundreds of deaths and thousands of illnesses annually. The annual costs of the standard are estimated to be $111 million, or an average of $22 per covered employee per year. 63 FR 1152 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-1998-01-08/97-33843 97-33843 fr08ja98-6 RIN 1218-AA05 4510-26-P Docket No. H-049 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-1998-01-08/97-33843 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1998-01-08/html/97-33843.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1998-01-08/pdf/97-33843.pdf 149 p. 1152 1300 63 FR 1152 Title 29 Part 1910 29 CFR Part 1910 Title 29 Part 1926 29 CFR Part 1926 RIN 1218-AA05 Respiratory Protection; Federal Register Vol. 63, Issue RULE 97-33843 II DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration 1998-04-08 Docket No. H-049 4510-26-P 97-33843 Final rule; Request for comment on paperwork requirements.

This final standard, which replaces the respiratory protection standards adopted by OSHA in 1971 (29 CFR 1910.134 and 29 CFR 1926.103), applies to general industry, construction, shipyard, longshoring, and marine terminal workplaces. The standard requires employers to establish or maintain a respiratory protection program to protect their respirator-wearing employees. The standard contains requirements for program administration; worksite-specific procedures; respirator selection; employee training; fit testing; medical evaluation; respirator use; respirator cleaning, maintenance, and repair; and other provisions. The final standard also simplifies respirator requirements for employers by deleting respiratory provisions in other OSHA health standards that duplicate those in the final standard and revising other respirator-related provisions to make them consistent. In addition, the standard addresses the use of respirators in Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) atmospheres, including interior structural firefighting. During interior structural firefighting (an IDLH atmosphere by definition), self-contained breathing apparatus is required, and two firefighters must be on standby to provide assistance or perform rescue when two firefighters are inside the burning building. Based on the record in this rulemaking and the Agency's own experience in enforcing its prior respiratory protection standards, OSHA has concluded that compliance with the final rule will assist employers in protecting the health of employees exposed in the course of their work to airborne contaminants, physical hazards, and biological agents, and that the standard is therefore necessary and appropriate. The final respiratory protection standard covers an estimated 5 million respirator wearers working in an estimated 1.3 million workplaces in the covered sectors. OSHA's benefits analysis predicts that the standard will prevent many deaths and illnesses among respirator-wearing employees every year by protecting them from exposure to acute and chronic health hazards. OSHA estimates that compliance with this standard will avert hundreds of deaths and thousands of illnesses annually. The annual costs of the standard are estimated to be $111 million, or an average of $22 per covered employee per year.

The final rule becomes effective April 8, 1998. Bonnie Friedman, Director, OSHA Office of Public Affairs, Room N-3647, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210; Telephone (202) 219- 8148. For additional copies of this regulation contact: OSHA, Office of Publications, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-3101, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210; Telephone (202) 219-4667. Vol. 63, no. 5 Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration 1998-01-08 continuing daily deposited born digital 278 p. Table of Contents: AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: KF70.A2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-1998-01-08 P0b002ee180a54b73 0097-6326 0042-1219 0364-1406 769-004-00000-9 000582072 f:fr08ja98 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-1998-01-08 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1998-01-08/pdf/FR-1998-01-08.pdf fdlp 1051 1320 DGPO 2010-09-24 2023-05-06 FR-1998-01-08 machine generated eng FR FR-1998-01-08 63 5