Respiratory Protection

Mississippi State University has implemented a Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) to address potential exposure to airborne contaminants during work activities. When effective engineering or administration controls are not feasible or practical for eliminating or minimizing these exposures, or in emergency situations, personal respiratory protection equipment, such as a respirator, may be necessary to protect individuals’ health. When used properly, respirators ensure adequate protection.

The program’s purpose to establish acceptable practices for selecting, using, and maintaining approved respirators, as well as procedures for medical clearance and fit testing. This program applies to all Mississippi State University personnel required to wear a respirator for their duties or those who choose to wear on voluntary.

Procedures for RPP Enrollment

Individuals must complete the steps listed below to enroll in the Mississippi State University Respiratory Protection Program, which includes hazard evaluation, medial clearance, annual training, and fit testing. A hazard evaluation must be completed for any activity requiring respiratory protection and each department must develop a worksite-specific protection plan.

Initial Enrollment:

  1. Identify and evaluate worksite hazards. If EH&S does not have a hazard evaluation on file, then complete the Respiratory Hazard Evaluation Form and submit it to EH&S to determine the need for an exposure risk assessment and the type of respiratory protection and cartridge appropriate for the work.

     
  2. Create a Worksite-Specific Respiratory Protection Plan, in coordination with EH&S, for use in conjunction with the RPP for operations that present health and safety hazards requiring the use of a respirator.

     
  3. Fill out the Initial Respirator Clearance and Enrollment Form, Part B of this form is filled out and signed by the licensed medical professional to indicate that the employee has been medically cleared to use a respirator under the conditions stipulated in the form. Submit the completed form to EH&S.

     
  4. The Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire is filled out by the employee and is reviewed by the licensed medical professional. This questionnaire is kept by the medical professional. Responses to the questionnaire should not be provided to the supervisor or maintained in a personal file (use a copy of the Initial Respirator Clearance form as documentation of medical approval). The medical evaluation is conducted upon initial enrollment to the program. A follow-up medical evaluation is only needed if medical conditions change or there are significant changes to work activities and respiratory protection needs.

     
  5. The respirator user completes respiratory protection training via in-person or online through EH&S.

     
  6. An EH&S representative will contact the respirator user to schedule a respirator fit test after receiving the signed Initial Respiratory Clearance and Enrollment Form and upon confirmation of completion of the online training. Respirator users must be fit tested to the same make and model respirator(s) they will be using at the worksite.

Annual Requirements:

  1. Existing respirator users already enrolled in the MSU RPP must fill out the Annual Respiratory Protection Clearance Form.

     
  2. Respirator users will be notified via email when their annual requirements (fit testing and training) are due. They must complete the online training and submit the Annual Respiratory Protection Clearance Form to workplacesafety@ehs.msstate.edu. An EH&S representative will contact the respirator user to schedule their annual fit test. 

Forms

Resources