8
NOVA
1
®
EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITIES
Your specific responsibilities may vary by location and industry, but in general RPB
®
expects that
employers will:
Follow all applicable standards and regulations for your location, industry, and activity.
Depending on your location and industry, a number of standards and regulations may apply
to your selection and use of respirators and other personal protective equipment. These may
include such things as national, local, or military standards and regulations and consensus
standards such as CE and AS/NZS. There are also requirements specific to particular
contaminants, e.g. silica (see rpbsafety.com/important-safety-information/ for more information),
asbestos, organic pathogens, etc. Know which requirements apply to your location and industry.
Have appropriate safety programs in place.
Have and follow:
A workplace safety program.
A written respiratory protection program in accordance with applicable standards and
regulations.
In accordance with the above
,
Perform a hazard analysis and select appropriate equipment for each activity.
A hazard
analysis should be performed by a qualified person. Controls should be in place as
appropriate and a qualified person should determine what kind of respiratory, face and eye,
head, and hearing protection is appropriate for the intended activities and environments
of use. (For example, select a respirator appropriate to the specific airborne hazards, with
consideration of workplace and user factors and with an Assigned Protection Factor (APF)
that meets or exceeds the required level for employee protection, select welding face and
eye protection appropriate to the type of welding to be done, etc.)
As applicable, check your workplace safety program, respiratory protection program, and
standards and regulations for your activity or industry for related protection requirements,
and see this manual (Protection Provided and Limitations, page 4) and the flow control
device Instruction Manual for product specifications.
Be sure employees are medically qualified to use a respirator.
Have a qualified physician or other licensed health care professional (PLHCP) perform
medical evaluations using a medical questionnaire or an initial medical examination.
Train employees in the NOVA 1
®
’s use, maintenance, and limitations.
Appoint a qualified individual who is knowledgable about the RPB
®
NOVA 1
®
to provide
training:
Qualifications of the Respirator Trainer. Anyone providing respirator training shall:
a) be knowledgable in the application and use of the respirator(s);
b) have practical knowledge in the selection and use of respirator(s) and work practices
at the site;
c) have an understanding of the site’s respirator program; and
d) be knowledgable of applicable regulations.
