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Respiratory Protection: Employee Safety

24 minutesEN / ES / MLCCSafety Training29 CFR 1910.134 - Respiratory Protection
Quick Answer

Respiratory Protection: Employee Safety is a 24-minute online course that covers respiratory hazards, respirator selection, fit testing, and employer program requirements under OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134. It is designed for employees exposed to airborne contaminants and the safety managers who oversee their protection, and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Respiratory Protection ranked 5th on OSHA's FY 2025 Top 10 most-cited violations list with 1,953 citations. Airborne hazards including dust, fumes, mists, gases, and vapors are present across manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and dozens of other industries. OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, requires employers to establish and maintain a written respiratory protection program whenever respirators are necessary. Serious violations carry penalties of up to $16,550 per instance, and employers who fail to provide medical evaluations, fit testing, or proper training face separate citations for each deficiency.

This course trains your employees on the fundamentals of respiratory protection, from identifying respiratory hazards to understanding the types and limitations of NIOSH-certified respirators. Your team will learn the critical differences between air-purifying and atmosphere-supplying respirators, the requirements for medical evaluations and fit testing, and how to properly don, doff, inspect, and maintain respiratory equipment. The training also covers employer program requirements including hazard assessment, respirator selection, training documentation, and record-keeping obligations.

What You'll Learn

  • Types of respiratory hazards including particulates, gases, vapors, and oxygen-deficient atmospheres
  • OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) and employer obligations
  • NIOSH-certified respirator categories including air-purifying respirators and atmosphere-supplying respirators
  • Medical evaluation requirements and when employees must receive clearance before respirator use
  • Fit testing procedures, timing requirements, and the difference between qualitative and quantitative fit tests
  • Proper donning, doffing, inspection, cleaning, and storage procedures for respirators
  • Employer responsibilities for written respiratory protection programs and record-keeping

Who Needs This Training

  • Workers in manufacturing environments exposed to dust, fumes, or chemical vapors
  • Construction workers operating in environments with silica dust, paint fumes, or welding smoke
  • Healthcare workers who may need respiratory protection for airborne pathogens
  • Safety managers responsible for developing and administering a written respiratory protection program
  • Supervisors who must verify that employees are properly fitted and trained on respirator use
  • Maintenance and janitorial staff who handle chemicals that produce airborne contaminants

Regulatory Background

OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, requires employers to establish a comprehensive respiratory protection program whenever employees must use respirators to protect against airborne hazards. The standard mandates written procedures, hazard evaluation, respirator selection, medical evaluations, fit testing, training, and program evaluation. Respiratory protection ranked 5th on OSHA's FY 2025 Top 10 most-cited list with 1,953 violations. Employers must provide free medical evaluations and fit testing before an employee can use a tight-fitting respirator. Training must be provided before initial use and at least annually thereafter, and employers must maintain records of medical evaluations, fit testing, and the written program. Serious violations carry penalties of up to $16,550, while willful or repeated violations can reach $165,514. Each element of the program - written procedures, medical evaluation, fit testing, and training - can be cited as a separate violation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Online training can satisfy the knowledge-based components of OSHA's respiratory protection training requirements, including hazard recognition, respirator types and limitations, and program procedures. However, 29 CFR 1910.134 also requires hands-on fit testing and medical evaluation, which must be conducted in person. This course provides the classroom portion of training that employers can combine with their on-site fit testing and medical evaluation programs.
OSHA requires respiratory protection training before initial use and retraining at least annually thereafter. Retraining is also required whenever workplace conditions change, new respirator types are introduced, or an employee demonstrates inadequate knowledge or use of their respirator. Fit testing must also be repeated annually and whenever an employee uses a different respirator facepiece.
A qualitative fit test uses the wearer's sense of taste or smell to detect leakage of a test agent into the facepiece. A quantitative fit test uses instruments to measure the actual amount of leakage into the facepiece, producing a numerical fit factor. Qualitative tests are simpler and less expensive but are only permitted for half-mask respirators. Quantitative tests are required for full-facepiece respirators and provide more precise results.
Under 29 CFR 1910.134, employers must provide a medical evaluation before an employee is fit-tested or required to use a respirator. The evaluation uses a medical questionnaire administered confidentially to the employee. Additional medical evaluations are required when an employee reports medical signs or symptoms related to respirator use, when a physician recommends reevaluation, or when observations during fit testing indicate a need.
The most common respiratory protection citations include failure to establish a written respiratory protection program, failure to provide medical evaluations before fit testing, failure to perform annual fit testing, and failure to provide adequate training. Each deficiency can be cited as a separate serious violation carrying penalties of up to $16,550. In FY 2025, respiratory protection ranked 5th on OSHA's most-cited list with 1,953 violations.
$24.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$24.95
10 - 24$19.95
25 - 49$17.95
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $24.95
Language

This course is available in English, Spanish, and Multi-Language CC at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

$24.95
per person