Several months ago, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released their preliminary list of the 10 most frequently cited safety and health violations for the fiscal year. The annual list is compiled each year from thousands of workplace inspections conducted by the agency.

For numerous years in a row, one of top 10 cited violations once again involves respiratory protection. OSHA reports that an estimated 5 million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces throughout the United States. Many of these workers can be found in New York and across the tri-state region.

OSHA reports that respirators protect workers in two basic ways:

The first is by the removal of contaminants from the air. Respirators of this type include particulate respirators, which filter out airborne particles, and air-purifying respirators with cartridges/canisters, which filter out chemicals and gases.

Other respirators protect by supplying clean respirable air from another source. Respirators that fall into this category include airline respirators, which use compressed air from a remote source, and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which include their own air supply.

“The correct respirator is not as simple as buying one ‘off the shelf’; the wrong type or improper fit may only provide false protection,” said Michael Berrevoets, President, VOETS, LLC. “The proper use and selection of respirators can protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays. Some of these hazards could otherwise cause cancer, lung impairment, diseases, or death. Compliance with OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard is mandatory and helps to avert many deaths and countless illnesses annually. Unfortunately, as seen by the fact that respiratory violations make OSHA’s list of the 10 most cited safety and health violations each year, many workers are not being properly protected.”

Companies, institutions, and government agencies can turn to VOETS to protect their workers and to implement programs to comply with the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard. VOETS’ industrial hygiene experts offer air testing services, respiratory plans, and employee fit testing among other services. They also recently sponsored an educational video about respiratory protection for workers that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/0vk4z4UuFqc