1975 OSHA seminar presented by the senior LASL respirator researcher at that time.
The following APF criteria were also used for 1970s-vintage APFs recommended by LASL to NIOSH and OSHA and subsequently incorporated into NIOSH's first APF recommendations,[1] numerous OSHA regulations, OSHA's Industrial Hygiene Manual,[2] and OSHA's Industrial Hygiene Technical Manual:[3]
95% of [the test] subjects must meet given [A]PF criteria to assign [A]PF for that respirator [and] all types of respirators in one class must meet criteria to assign a [A]PF to one class of respirator. Example; if less than 95% of subjects fail to obtain a PF of 100 on only one of 6 types of FF [fullface] approved, then the [A]PF assigned to FF class must be lowered, say to [A]PF of 50.[4]
In 1980, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z88.2-1980 respirator-use standard stated:
Respirators shall be selected according to the characteristics of the hazards involved, the capabilities and limitations of the respirators, and the ability of each respirator wearer to obtain a satis factory fit with a respirator. Taking into account the capabilities and limitations of respirators and the results of respirator-fitting tests, a table of respirator [assigned] protection factors has been prepared (see Table 5 [Table C in this evaluation]). A respirator [assigned] protection factor is a measure of the degree of protection provided by a respirator to a wearer." 63 The ANSI standard required the successful completion of respirator-fitting tests be- fore use of the standard's APF values. This was stated as follows: A qualitative or quantitative respirator-fitting test shall be used to determine the ability of each individual respirator wearer to obtain a satisfactory fit with a negative-pressure respirator. (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends that only a program of quan- titative-fit testing can provide adequate worker protection.)...
American National Standards Institute, Inc.: American National Standard Practices for Respiratory
Protection, ANSI Z88.2-1980, New York, New York, (1980), p. 20.
- ↑ Hyatt, E.: Respirator Protection Factors, OSHA Seminar Outline (December 17, 1975), p. 8.
- ↑ NIOSH: A Guide to Industrial Respiratory Protection, DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 76–189, Cincinnati, Ohio (June 1976), Appendix F, pp. 137-148.
- ↑ OSHA: Industrial Hygiene Manual, Chapter III—OSHA Standard Method for Determination of Respiratory Protection Program Acceptability (1979), pp. 89–90.
- ↑ OSHA: Industrial Hygiene Technical Manual, Chapter V—Respiratory Protection, Issued by OSHA Instruction CPL 2-2.20 A, (March 30, 1984), pp. 75–77.
