Respirator

A respirator is a mask or hood that protects the wearer from breathing harmful dust, fumes or gases, either by filtering the air or by supplying clean air. For asbestos, OSHA requires respirators with high-efficiency (HEPA or P100) filters or better; simple paper dust masks are not adequate.

Origin

Dust respirators were used in mining and industry from the early 1900s, and the U.S. Bureau of Mines tested and approved respirators from the 1920s until NIOSH took over approvals in the 1970s. Modern rules for respirator programs, including fit testing and training, come from OSHA's respiratory protection and asbestos standards.

Significance in Asbestos Context

Whether workers were given respirators, what kind, and whether they were told to wear them is often a central fact in asbestos cases. Many workers recall never having one, or being handed paper masks that gave little protection. Respirators only work when they fit, have the right filters, are maintained and are actually worn; beards, poor seals and clogged filters reduce protection sharply. Company documents showing respirators were recommended for asbestos dust can be evidence of what the company knew. Defendants sometimes argue that respirators were available or that an employer, not the product maker, was responsible for providing them. Even a good respirator reduces exposure; it does not eliminate it, and family members exposed through dusty clothes had no protection at all.

Example Sentence

He testified that the only respirator he was ever given in the boiler room was a paper mask, which he wore around his neck because it made breathing hard in the heat.

Related Terms

Assigned Protection Factor, H-60 mask, H-64 mask, OSHA Asbestos Standard, Industrial Hygiene, Duty to Warn, Take-home Exposure

Notes

• Tell your lawyer exactly what you were given to wear, if anything, and when: brand names, colors and shapes help.
• Coworkers may remember respirator practices too; their names can be useful.
• Wearing a mask at some times does not defeat a claim; protection was often partial or used only on some jobs.