제  목 : OSHA ISSUES DIRECTIVE THAT WILL HELP EMPLOYERS MEET
  일  자 : 1998년 09월
  제공처 : Internet

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    ┃   OSHA ISSUES DIRECTIVE THAT WILL HELP EMPLOYERS MEET  ┃
    ┃          NEW RESPIRATORY PROTECTION STANDARD           ┃
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  If you are an employer covered by the Occupational Safety and
  Health Administration's (OSHA) new respiratory protection standard,
  the agency has new information to help you.

  OSHA's new enforcement directive to agency field personnel will
  also be useful to employers in meeting requirements of the
  standard, including the "two-in/two-out" provisions for firefighters'
  safety. The standard was published Jan. 8, 1998, and employers
  must be in compliance by Oct. 5, 1998.

  Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health
  Charles N. Jeffress said, "This standard significantly improves
  worker protection. In addition to saving lives and preventing injuries
  and illnesses, employers will save up to $94 million a year on injury
  and illness-related costs."

  The new standard applies to all respirator use in general industry,
  shipyards, marine terminals, longshoring, and construction
  workplaces. It does not apply to agricultural operations or to
  occupational exposure to tuberculosis.

  The use of respirators to protect against tuberculosis will continue to
  be enforced under the old standard, which will be redesignated
  1910.139 on Oct. 5, 1998, and will apply only to tuberculosis until
  OSHA issues a final standard for occupational exposure to TB, which
  will contain TB respiratory protection provisions. Hearings have
  been held on the proposed TB standard in Los Angeles, Chicago,
  New York City, and Washington, D.C., and the testimony and
  comments are now being reviewed.

  The new standard (1910.134) applies to respirators worn to protect
  employees from exposure to air contaminants above a specified
  exposure limit or otherwise necessary to protect employee health. It
  also covers situations where respirators are otherwise required to
  be worn by the employer, and where respirators are voluntarily
  worn by employees for comfort or other reasons.

  The standard restates OSHA's longstanding policy that engineering
  and work practice controls should be the primary means to reduce
  employee exposure to toxic chemicals and that respirators should
  only be used if engineering or work practice controls are infeasible
  or while they are being put in place.

  Among other things, the compliance directive (CPL 2-0.120)
  discusses definitions of terms used in the standard; requirements
  for a written respiratory protection program and respiratory
  protection program administrator; voluntary use of respirators;
  selection of respirators and hazard evaluation; the requirements for
  employers to develop chemical cartridge change schedules for the
  respirators worn in their workplaces; medical evaluation of an
  employee's fitness to wear a respirator; and fit testing for
  employees using negative or positive pressure tight-fitting
  respirators.

  Also discussed are the proper use of respirators; employees
  working in conditions Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health
  (IDLH); and firefighters engaged in interior structural firefighting, i.e.,
  "two-in/two-out" requirements.

  The "two-in/two-out" firefighting procedures apply to private sector
  workers engaged in firefighting, including those working in industrial
  fire brigades and private incorporated fire companies, and to federal
  firefighters. These or equivalent provisions apply to state or local
  government firefighters only in the 25 states and territories that
  cover public employees under OSHA-approved state plans. These
  states are required to adopt an identical or "at least as effective"
  standard and extend its coverage to public employees. Coverage of
  volunteer firefighters in these states varies by state and depends on
  state law.

  The directive also notes that at least two firefighters must be
  stationed outside during interior structural firefighting and they must
  be trained, equipped and prepared to enter if necessary to rescue
  firefighters inside. The incident commander has the responsibility
  and flexibility to determine when more than two outside firefighters
  are necessary.

  The two firefighters (buddies) entering an IDLH atmosphere to
  perform interior structural firefighting must maintain visual or voice
  communication at all times. Electronic means of communication
  such as radios cannot be substituted for direct visual contact
  between the team members in the danger area. However, they can
  be used to communicate between the inside team members and
  outside standby personnel.

  Life-saving activities in interior firefighting are not precluded by the
  standard. There is an explicit exemption in the standard that if life is
  in jeopardy, firefighters can perform the rescue without following
  the "two-in/two-out" requirement.

  OSHA notes that the "two-in/two-out" provision is not intended as a
  staffing requirement, but is a requirement for worker safety in
  fighting interior structural fires.

  The directive also discusses maintenance and care of respirators;
  training and information; evaluation of the effectiveness of the
  respirator program; recordkeeping; and how the respirator standard
  is linked to other OSHA standards.

  The directive is effective Friday, Sept. 25, 1998.

  The directive can be accessed through the OSHA Home Page on the
  Internet World Wide Web (http://www.osha.gov) under
  "Library/Reading Room" and then "Directives." A supplementary
  document, "Questions and Answers on the Respiratory Protection
  Standard," also can be accessed through the OSHA Home Page.