WAC 296-62-20011. Respiratory protection

(1) General. For employees who use respirators required by this section, the employer must provide each employee with an appropriate respirator that complies with the requirements of this section. Compliance with the permissible exposure limit may not be achieved by the use of respirators except during: (a) Periods necessary to install or implement feasible engineering and work-practice controls; (b) Work operations, such as maintenance and repair activity, for which engineering and work-practice controls are technologically not feasible; (c) Work operations for which feasible engineering and work-practice controls are not yet sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the permissible exposure limit; (d) Emergencies. (2) Respirator program. The employer must develop, implement and maintain a respiratory protection program as required by chapter 296-842 WAC, Respirators, which covers each employee required to use a respirator. (3) Respirator selection. The employer must select and provide to employees appropriate respirators as specified in this section and WAC 296-842-13005 , found in the respirator rule. Although filtering facepiece respirators may be used for protection from coke oven particulate emissions, these respirators are not appropriate for use against gas or vapor contaminants that present an exposure hazard.