Department of Energy (DOE) Radiological Control Manual

Chapter 5. - Radiological Health Support Operations

Part 3 - Respiratory Protection Program

Table of Contents (Articles 53x)

• Forward
• 531 Requirements
• 532 Medical Assessment
• 533 Use of Respiratory Protection
• 534 Heat Stress
• 535 Half-Face Respirators

Forward

Respiratory protection equipment includes respirators with particulate or gas-filtering cartridges, supplied air respirators, self-contained breathing apparatus and airline supplied-air suits and hoods.

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Article 531 - Requirements

1. Use of respiratory protection shall be reduced to the minimum practicable by implementing engineering controls and work practices to contain radioactivity at the source.

2. DOE 5480.4 mandates the requirements contained in ANSI Z88.2 and 29 CFR 1910.134 for implementation of the Respiratory Protection Program and associated training of personnel.

3. Respirators shall be issued only to personnel who are trained, fitted and medically qualified to wear the specific type of respirator. Training and qualification testing shall be performed annually.

4. Positive controls shall be maintained for the issue, use and return of respirators to ensure that only qualified personnel wear respirators.

5. DOE 5480.4 mandates that breathing air meet the specifications of ANSI/CGA G-7.1 Grade D breathing air as specified in 29 CFR 1910.134. Compressed air supplied to respirators shall be tested quarterly. Compressors shall be of the breathing air type and shall not allow oil or other chemicals and fumes to enter the breathing air supply. Special attention shall be focused on the location of compressor air supply intakes and on cross-connections to other compressed gas systems to prevent contamination.

6. Facility safety analyses should not take credit for the use of respiratory protection for routine work involving potential exposure to airborne radioactive materials. Engineering controls should be designed to control radioactive materials at the source, so that respiratory protection can be reduced.

Article 532 - Medical Assessment

Each prospective respirator wearer shall have a medical assessment prior to being fit-tested. The medical assessment shall determine if an employee's medical condition precludes the use of respirators and should follow the guidance in ANSI Z88.6 on frequency and content of the examination. The ability of an employee to accommodate the additional stress placed on the body when working in a respirator is part of this assessment.

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Article 533 - Use of Respiratory Protection

Personnel using respiratory protection shall:

1. Be issued respirators only upon verification of medical approval, training and fit testing

2. Perform fit checks of their respirators to ensure a proper seal before entering areas requiring respirator use

3. Be clean shaven in the area of fit

4. Use corrective lenses, if needed, that are approved for respirators

5. Be trained to leave the work area when experiencing respirator failure

6. Be trained to remove their respirators to avoid life- threatening situations when exiting an area after respirator failure.

Article 534 - Heat Stress

Heat stress may result from working in areas of high heat, humidity and radiant heat; working in protective clothing; and using respirators, particularly where other protective equipment is required. Heat stress has occurred at ambient temperatures less than 70° F when multiple sets of anti-contamination clothing or plastic suits were in use or strenuous work was required. The planning stages for work in hot environments should address heat stress controls. Recommended work time limits and use of body cooling devices should be considered to reduce heat stress. Job supervisors should inform their personnel of heat stress precautions prior to work on job assignments in hot environments. If a person begins to feel symptoms of heat illness, the person should immediately notify the nearest co-worker, exit the area, remove Personal Protective Equipment, notify the supervisor and rest in a cool area. In such cases, medical assistance should be provided.

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Article 535 - Half-Face Respirators

The revised 10 CFR Part 20, effective January 1, 1994, states that half-face respirators are "...not satisfactory for use where it might be possible (e.g., if an accident or emergency were to occur) for the ambient airborne concentrations to reach instantaneous values greater than 10 times the...[DAC values]. This type of respirator is not suitable for protection against plutonium or other high-toxicity materials."

1. Half-face respirators shall not be used on a routine basis as a precautionary measure for protecting workers from potential airborne radioactive materials. Half-face respirators are undesirable because their seal with the face is more likely to fail than with full-face respirators, particularly during heavy work. As a result, their permitted protection factor is low.

2. The use of half-face respirators is not prohibited in situations where intakes of radioactive material will be low, such as a few mrem, and where industrial and safety considerations warrant, such as during the operation of heavy equipment.

3. A few DOE facilities use half-face respirators for emergency evacuation purposes. This practice is discouraged and shall not be implemented where not in place.