Preparing a respiratory protection program for an OSHA inspection

With all of their other responsibilities, plant engineers should not spend time worrying about an OSHA inspection of their respiratory protection program. But it pays to be prepared. Even though it is the responsibility of the employer to provide appropriate respiratory protection against airborne contaminants and to provide worker training in proper use, employees have a responsibility to comply with the company's respirator program. That is why the cornerstones of an effective and OSHA-compliant program are training, education, fit testing, trust, and equitable administration.