Airborne hazards in the workplace, such as dusts, gases, vapours, smoke and fumes have the potential to cause or exacerbate a range of serious respiratory diseases such as; asthma, asbestosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancers of the respiratory system.

A respiratory protective device (RPD), also known as a respirator, is a piece of safety equipment for personal protection. Respirators are designed to prevent the inhalation of contaminated air and belong in two main categories:

• Air-purifying respirators – these are designed to filter or clean contaminated air from the workplace before it is inhaled by the RPD wearer.
• Air-supply respirators – these deliver clean, breathable air from an independent source to the wearer.

Respirators are devices designed to prevent the wearer from inhaling hazardous contaminates. RPD supplied for personnel are selected using the requirements of AS/AZS 1715 (2009) and AS/AZS 1716 (2003). Respirator selection should only be undertaken by a competent person familiar with the uses and limitations of the RPD.

All respirators that rely on a mask-to-face seal needs to be checked annually to determine whether the mask provides an acceptable fit to the wearer. A fit testing protection program, offered by Occuhealth, also includes verification of training, respirator maintenance and sizing.

For all elements of an effective respiratory protection program for your workplace, including respirator fit testing, training, exposure control and more, contact us today. All services can be performed at our Belmont and Mandurah locations, or via our mobile service directly on site.

P: +61 8 9537 5700

E: [email protected]