Respiratory Protection Program

The University of Arizona (UA) Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) is a joint effort by Research Laboratory & Safety Services (RLSS), Risk Management Services (RMS), and Occupational Health (OH).  RLSS provides hazard assessments and respirator fit testing to the University of Arizona research community.  All UA employees must be evaluated, cleared, trained, and fit tested to obtain respirators at the University of Arizona, as mandated by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).

** RLSS and RMS are currently transitioning into a new record-keeping system for the Respiratory Protection Program (RPP), effective February 1^st, 2023.  We kindly ask for your patience during this transition period. **

Occupational Health (OH), Research Laboratory and Safety Services (RLSS), Risk Management Services (RMS) and Facilities Management (FM) have partnered together to ensure a safe and compliant respiratory protection program at UA. 

• Occupational Health (OH) provides OSHA mandated medical clearance and support to UA employees.  Campus Health provides medical clearance and support to UA students.
• Research Laboratory and Safety Services (RLSS) performs hazard assessments, provides guidance on the appropriate respiratory protection equipment, and fit tests research employees for UA.
• Risk Management Services (RMS) performs hazards assessments, provides guidance on the appropriate respiratory protection equipment, and fit tests non-research employees and students for UA.
• Facilities Management (FM) procures and distributes N95 respirators to UA employees and students who have completed fit testing.

Respiratory protection can only be supplied to users if all OSHA-mandated steps are followed:

1. Hazard Assessments - To determine if and what type of respiratory protection is needed RLSS or RMS must provide a documented hazard assessment to UA OH or Campus Health.
    
   1. To begin the process, complete the online respiratory protection form.
      
      1. If your group has not been assessed for respiratory hazards, or a new respiratory hazard comes to exist – a respiratory hazard assessment must be created or updated.  Once you submit the online respiratory protection form, there is no need to resubmit a form unless there have been changes to the respiratory hazard conditions.
      2. If your group has been assessed for respiratory hazards, there is no need to submit the online respiratory protection form.
         1. RPP Hazard Assessments for animal exposures (i.e. IACUC research protocol, University Animal Care, etc.) are completed during Animal Hazard Program (AHP) enrollment/maintenance and do not require completing the online respiratory protection form.
   2. For questions or concerns, please email RLSS (rlss-ppe@email.arizona.edu(link sends e-mail)) or RMS (RMS-risk@email.arizona.edu(link sends e-mail)).
2. Medical Evaluation and Clearance - The next OSHA requirement for use of respirators in the workplace is to have all workers evaluated and medically cleared to use respiratory protection.
    
   1. Medical evaluation and clearance is typically performed by UA OH or UA Campus Health.  Questions regarding medical clearance should be sent to occhealth-support@email.arizona.edu.
   2. Once your respiratory hazard assessment is complete and approved, complete and submit the OSHA Respirator form.  Check with your supervisor about what form system to use. 
      
      1. Supervisors/Protocols enrolled into the RLSS User Dashboard for Respiratory Protection must guide their staff to complete OSHA Respirator forms by logging into the RLSS User Dashboard with their Net ID.  If the OSHA Respirator form is not available on the User Dashboard to protocol staff, please contact RLSS at rlss-ppe@email.arizona.edu to schedule an online “Orientation/Enrollment”.
      2. Supervisors/Protocols not yet enrolled into the RLSS User Dashboard for Respiratory Protection must guide their staff to complete OSHA Respirator forms by logging into the online Medical Surveillance Program application. 
3. Training and Fit Testing - Once medically cleared, OSHA mandates that all workers receive annual training and an annual fit test to ensure the respirator will protect the worker from workplace hazards.
    
   1. RLSS will register medically cleared persons into the Respiratory Protection Training on EDGE Learning and must be completed once the medical clearance has been granted by OH.  Individuals must be registered to find the course on EDGE Learning.  If you do not see the course under My Learning, please contact RLSS.
   2. At the end of the training there are scheduling links to schedule a fit test with RLSS or RMS.
      
      1. Research employees cleared through Occupational Health will select the 1^st link on the final slide, marked as for Researchers.
      2. Non-research employees and students cleared through Campus Health will select the 2^nd link on the final slide, marked as for Non-Researchers. 
   3. FM provides respirators to RLSS and RMS for fit testing purposes.  Individuals may bring their own respirator to their fit test.  If not, RLSS and RMS will conduct the fit test with the respirator models provided by FM. 
      
      1. Sizes and models provided by FM are limited, and there is a chance a successful fit test may not occur.  Workers must never use a respirator that they have not been successfully fit tested for, as it will NOT offer adequate protection.
   4. Individuals who work at a UA site off main campus, such as College of Medicine – Phoenix, will need to be fit tested by an outside entity.  These workers will need to request a referral form from OH to be fit tested at a local site that provides fit testing.
      
      1. Once fit testing is complete, send a copy of the fit test results to rlss-ppe@email.arizona.edu(link sends e-mail) so records may be updated.
   5. Once a worker has a successful fit test, they are authorized to wear that respirator model at work.  Workers with passed fit tests may contact FM to request respirators provided the model is one they have available.  FM can be contacted via phone at (520)-621-3000.
       
      1. Proof of a passed fit test must be provided to FM at the time of request. 
      2. If FM does not have the respirator model available, the passed model must be purchased from an outside vendor. 
      3. If the respirator model is no longer available, a new fit test for a different model of respirator can be made through the EDGE Respiratory Protection Training.
4. Annual Recertification - OSHA mandates that this entire process be completed at least on an annual basis to ensure the respiratory protection is still required and adequate for the intended uses and that the respirator still property fits the worker. 

University of Arizona Respiratory Protection Resources

• University of Arizona Respiratory Protection Program
•  PAPR Plan Template.docx 

Additional Respiratory Protection Resources

• 29 CFR 1910.134 Respiratory Protection (OSHA Regulation)
• National Institute of Occupational Health & Safety (NIOSH) Respiratory Protection