Occupational health & safety (Waco, Tex.)
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Allowing voluntary use of respirators can provide workers with an added level of comfort and relief from nuisance levels of particulates, gases, or vapors. But misuse can result in illness or injury to the worker. Understanding and following OSHA's guidelines on voluntary use of respirators is one of the many ways you help provide a safe workplace and ensure your employees stay healthy.
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A respirator is a device designed to help provide the wearer with respiratory protection against inhalation of airborne contaminants. Increasing the filtration level of a particle respirator does not increase the respirator's ability to reduce a user's exposure to contaminants. The APF of a respirator, which is affected by the respirator style, determines the potential for exposure reduction. Surgical masks that are not approved as filtering facepiece half-mask respirators do not have an APF and should not be used for reducing workers' exposures to particles in the air.