Respiratory Protection
Standards
Respiratory protection is addressed in specific OSHA standards for general industry, maritime, and construction. This section highlights OSHA standards and documents related to respiratory protection.
OSHA's revised Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134 and 29 CFR 1926.103) went into effect April 8, 1998. The final standard replaces the respiratory protection standards adopted by OSHA in 1971. The 29 CFR 1910.139 respirator standard that applied only to respiratory protection against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis was withdrawn December 31, 2003. Establishments whose respiratory protection programs for tuberculosis formerly covered under 29 CFR 1910.139 were required to adapt their programs to comply with the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.134 effective July 2, 2004.
OSHA Standards
General Industry (29 CFR 1910) |
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1910 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment | ||
1910.134, Respiratory protection. |
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Maritime (29 CFR 1915, 1917, 1918) |
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1915 Subpart I - Personal Protective Equipment | ||
1915.154, Respiratory protection. |
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1917.92, Respiratory protection. |
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1918 Subpart J - Personal Protective Equipment | ||
1918.102, Respiratory protection. |
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Construction (29 CFR 1926) |
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1926 Subpart E - Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment | ||
1926.103, Respiratory protection. |
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State Plan Standards
There are 29 OSHA-approved State Plans operating state-wide occupational safety and health programs. State Plans are required to have standards and enforcement programs that are at least as effective as OSHA's and may have different or more stringent requirements.
While not required by Federal OSHA states, see how Cal/OSHA is protecting health care workers from Coronavirus.
Preambles to final rules explain the provisions of the final standard, describe changes that were made, discuss the Agency’s response to comments received from stakeholders, and present the rationale cited for making the changes found in the final standard, along with the cost/benefit and economic analysis supporting the final standard.
- Additional Ambient Aerosol CNC Quantitative Fit Testing Protocols: Respiratory Protection Standard. Final Rules 84:50739-50756, (September 26, 2019). Adds two new quantitative fit testing protocols to Appendix A of OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard. (Note: These new protocols apply to all Federal OSHA states, but only to those State Plan states that opt to adopt them, since they are among other fit testing protocol options.)
- 42 CFR Part 84 Approval of Respiratory Protective Devices. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Updates NIOSH certification requirements for respiratory protective devices. Replaces and upgrades testing requirements for particulate filters.
Additional Federal Register notices
Note: The notices in this list provide additional information that is not necessarily connected to a specific OSHA standard highlighted on this Safety and Health Topics page.
- Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis; Proposed Rule; Termination of Rulemaking Respiratory Protection for M. Tuberculosis; Final Rule; Revocation. Proposed Rule 68:75767-75775, (December 31, 2003).