The impact of respirator wear time on worker protection

The primary reason for using a respirator is to reduce a worker's inhalation exposure of a contaminant from a level that is considered hazardous to one that is considered acceptable. The Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL), established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), are the legally acceptable air contaminant levels for worker exposure. The PEL for a particular contaminant can be determined by looking up the contaminant in OSHA standards (e.g., 29 CFR 1910. 1000).