Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-20-05-.92

Current through October 22, 2024

Section 0400-20-05-.92 - USE OF INDIVIDUAL RESPIRATORY PROTECTION EQUIPMENT

(1) If the licensee assigns or permits the use of respiratory protection equipment to limit intakes pursuant to Rule 0400-20-05-.91:

(a) The licensee shall use only respiratory protection equipment that is tested and certified or had certification extended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health/Mine Safety and Health Administration (NIOSH/MSHA), except as otherwise noted in this chapter.

(b) A licensee desiring to use equipment that has not been tested or certified by NIOSH, or for which there is no schedule for testing or certification, shall apply for authorization except as provided in this chapter. The application shall demonstrate by licensee testing or on the basis of reliable test information, that the equipment's material and performance characteristics provide protection equivalent to that of the equipment in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph under anticipated conditions of use.

(c) The licensee shall implement and maintain a respiratory protection program that includes:

1. Air sampling sufficient to identify the potential hazard, permit proper equipment selection and estimate doses;

2. Surveys and bioassays, as appropriate, to evaluate actual intakes;

3. Testing of respirators for operability (user seal check for face sealing devices and functional check for other) immediately before each use;

4. Written procedures regarding:

(i) The routine, non-routine and emergency use of respirators,

(ii) Respirator selection,

(iii) Fit testing,

(iv) Limitations on periods of respirator use and relief from respirator use,

(v) Storage, issuance, maintenance, repair, testing and quality assurance of respiratory protection equipment, including testing for operability immediately before each use;

(vi) Supervision and training of respirator users;

(vii) Monitoring, including air sampling and bioassays;

(viii) Breathing air quality;

(ix) Inventory and control;

(x) Record keeping; and

(xi) The use of process or other engineering controls, instead of respirators;

5. Determination by a physician that the individual user is medically fit to use the respiratory protection equipment before:

(i) The initial fitting of a face-sealing respirator;

(ii) The first field use of non-face-sealing respirators; and

(iii) Either every 12 months thereafter or periodically at a frequency determined by a physician;

6. Fit testing, with fit factor=>10 times the APF for negative pressure devices, and a fit factor=> 500 for any positive pressure, continuous flow, and pressure-demand devices, before the first field use of tight fitting, face-sealing respirators and periodically thereafter at a frequency not to exceed 1 year. Fit testing must be performed with the facepiece operating in the negative pressure mode.

(d) The licensee shall advise each respirator user that the user may leave the area at any time for relief from respirator use in the event of equipment malfunction, physical or psychological distress, procedural or communication failure, significant deterioration of operating conditions or any other conditions that might require such relief.

(e) The licensee's use of the equipment shall not exceed the equipment's specifications. The licensee shall provide proper visual, communication and other special capabilities (such as adequate skin protection) when needed.

(f) The licensee shall also consider limitations appropriate to the type and mode of use. When selecting respiratory devices the licensee shall provide for vision correction , adequate communication, low temperature work environments and the concurrent use of other safety or radiological protection equipment. The licensee shall use equipment in such a way as not to interfere with the proper operation of the respirator.

(g) Standby rescue persons are required whenever one-piece atmosphere-supplying suits, or any combination of supplied air respiratory protection device and personnel protective equipment are used from which an unaided individual would have difficulty extricating himself or herself. The standby persons shall be equipped with respiratory protection devices or other apparatus appropriate for the potential hazards. The standby rescue persons shall observe or otherwise maintain continuous communication with the workers (visual, voice, signal line, telephone, radio, or other suitable means), and be immediately available to assist them in case of a failure of the air supply or for any other reason that requires relief from distress. A sufficient number of standby rescue persons shall be immediately available to assist all users of this type of equipment and to provide effective emergency rescue if needed.

(h) Atmosphere-supplying respirators shall be supplied with respirable air of grade D quality or better as defined by the Compressed Gas Association in publication G-7.1, "Commodity Specification for Air," 1997 and included in the regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( 29 CFR 1910.134(i)(1)(ii)(A) through (E). Grade D quality air criteria include:

1. Oxygen content (v/v) of 19.5-23.5%;

2. Hydrocarbon (condensed) content of 5 milligrams per cubic meter of air or less;

3. Carbon monoxide (CO) content of 10 ppm or less;

4. Carbon dioxide content of 1,000 ppm or less; and

5. Lack of noticeable odor.

(i) The licensee shall ensure that no objects, materials or substances, such as facial hair, or any conditions that interfere with the face -- facepiece seal or valve function, and that are under the control of the respirator wearer, are present between the skin of the wearer's face and the sealing surface of a tight-fitting respirator facepiece.

(j) In estimating the dose to individuals from intake of airborne radioactive materials, the concentration of radioactive material in the air that is inhaled when respirators are worn is initially assumed to be the ambient concentration in air without respiratory protection, divided by the assigned protection factor. If the dose is later found to be greater than the estimated dose, the corrected value shall be used. If the dose is later found to be less than the estimated dose, the corrected value may be used.

(2) In estimating an individual's exposure to airborne radioactive materials, the licensee may make allowance for respiratory protection equipment used to limit intakes pursuant to Rule 0400-20-05-.91. To make such an allowance the following conditions, in addition to those in paragraph (1) of this rule shall be satisfied:

(a) The licensee selects respiratory protection equipment that provides a protection factor (see Schedule RHS 8-32) greater than the multiple by which peak concentrations of airborne radioactive materials in the working area are expected to exceed the values specified in Schedule RHS 8-30, Table 1, Column 3. If the selection of a respiratory protection device with a protection factor greater than the peak concentrations is inconsistent with the goal specified in Rule 0400-20-05-.91 of keeping the total effective dose equivalent ALARA, the licensee may select respiratory protection equipment with a lower protection factor only if such a selection would result in keeping the total effective dose equivalent ALARA. The concentration of radioactive material inhaled when respirators are used may be initially estimated by dividing the average concentration in air, during each period of uninterrupted respirator use, by the protection factor. If the exposure is later found to exceed the estimate, the corrected value shall be used; if the exposure is later found to be less than the estimate, the corrected value may be used.

(b) The licensee shall obtain authorization from the Division before assigning respiratory protection factors in excess of those specified in Schedule RHS 8-32. The Division may authorize a licensee to use higher protection factors on receipt of an application that:

1. Describes the situation for which a need exists for higher protection factors; and

2. Demonstrates that the respiratory protection equipment provides these higher protection factors under the proposed conditions of use.

(c) The licensee shall use as emergency devices only respiratory protection equipment that has been specifically certified or had certification extended for emergency use by NIOSH/MSHA.

(d) The licensee shall notify, in writing, the Division at least 30 days before the date that respiratory protection equipment is first used under the provisions of either paragraph (1) or (2) of this rule.

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-20-05-.92

Original rule filed February 22, 2012; effective May 22, 2012.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 68-202-201 et seq., and 4-5-201 et seq.