MSA makes choosing the right respirator and cartridge as easy as wearing it. The United States Federal OSHA regulations stipulate that respirator cartridges must be replaced at pre-determined intervals, based on worksite-specific usage conditions. (Here are the related text and some links to documents you may wish to review.) From the Federal Register, p. 1272, col.1 OSHA 1910.134(d)(3)(iii) (iii) For protection against gases and vapors, the employer shall provide: (A) An atmosphere-supplying respirator, or (B) An air-purifying respirator, provided that: (1) The respirator is equipped with an end-of-service indicator (ESLI) certified by NIOSH for the contaminant; or (2) If there is no ESLI appropriate for conditions in the employer's workplace, the employer implements a change schedule for canisters and cartridges that is based on objective information or data that will ensure that canisters and cartridges are changed before the end of their service life. The employer shall describe in the respirator program the information and data relied upon and the basis for the canister and cartridge change schedule and the basis for reliance on the data. Links to Related Documents: 1910.134 OSHA's new Respiratory Protection Standard OSHA Directive CPL 2-0.120, "Inspection procedures for the Respirator Protection Standard" (Sept. 25, 1998 ) http://www.osha.gov Document from Director John B. Miles, Jr., to OSHA Regional Administrators, entitled "Questions and Answers about the Respiratory Protection Standard" (August 3, 1998) http://www.osha-slc.gov:80/RespiratorOutreach/faq.html MSA now makes choosing the right respirator cartridge - and estimating its length-of-use time - a whole lot easier, with this Cartridge Life Expectancy Calculator. By entering key environmental and usage factors on the calculator form, MSA can provide guidance as to how long a specific cartridge should be used before it needs to be replaced. The determination is called the "Time to Breakthrough," meaning the point at which a hazardous chemical will begin to break through the cartridge's protective filter. You will be given a series of choices and asked for information to complete the calculation. Select the choices that best describe your workplace and the worst-case working conditions as they pertain to the following: Chemical hazard. Temperature. Relative humidity. Atmospheric pressure (elevation above sea level). Current use of either a full-face or half-mask respirator and cartridge type. Type of work and average breathing rate (light, moderate or heavy). Use concentration in ppm (parts per million) or mg/m3 (milligrams per cubic meter). Breakthrough concentration preference.
The United States Federal OSHA regulations stipulate that respirator cartridges must be replaced at pre-determined intervals, based on worksite-specific usage conditions. (Here are the related text and some links to documents you may wish to review.)
(iii) For protection against gases and vapors, the employer shall provide: (A) An atmosphere-supplying respirator, or (B) An air-purifying respirator, provided that: (1) The respirator is equipped with an end-of-service indicator (ESLI) certified by NIOSH for the contaminant; or (2) If there is no ESLI appropriate for conditions in the employer's workplace, the employer implements a change schedule for canisters and cartridges that is based on objective information or data that will ensure that canisters and cartridges are changed before the end of their service life. The employer shall describe in the respirator program the information and data relied upon and the basis for the canister and cartridge change schedule and the basis for reliance on the data.
1910.134 OSHA's new Respiratory Protection Standard
OSHA Directive CPL 2-0.120, "Inspection procedures for the Respirator Protection Standard" (Sept. 25, 1998 ) http://www.osha.gov
Document from Director John B. Miles, Jr., to OSHA Regional Administrators, entitled "Questions and Answers about the Respiratory Protection Standard" (August 3, 1998) http://www.osha-slc.gov:80/RespiratorOutreach/faq.html
MSA now makes choosing the right respirator cartridge - and estimating its length-of-use time - a whole lot easier, with this Cartridge Life Expectancy Calculator.
By entering key environmental and usage factors on the calculator form, MSA can provide guidance as to how long a specific cartridge should be used before it needs to be replaced. The determination is called the "Time to Breakthrough," meaning the point at which a hazardous chemical will begin to break through the cartridge's protective filter.
You will be given a series of choices and asked for information to complete the calculation. Select the choices that best describe your workplace and the worst-case working conditions as they pertain to the following:
Do not use the results from this calculator as the sole source of information when determining a cartridge change-out schedule. An appropriate change-out schedule must be developed by a qualified professional and take into account all factors that may influence respiratory protection including specific work practices and other conditions unique to the workers' environment. The following is a partial list of factors which may affect the usable cartridge service life and/or the degree of respiratory protection attainable under actual workplace conditions which are not taken into account by the cartridge calculator: Changes in contaminant concentration, humidity, breathing rate and temperature Accuracy in the determination of the conditions Cartridge storage conditions (exposure to trace levels of contaminants and humidity and elevated temperatures) Age of the cartridge Condition of the cartridge and respirator Respirator fit Respirator assembly, operation, and maintenance User training, experience and medical fitness Other conditions specific to the particular user and/or workplace Over exposure can occur without user awareness. If using the respirator against substances having poor warning properties the user must rely solely on the change-out schedule to determine when to replace the cartridges. Take appropriate precautions to prevent overexposure, which may include selecting a low Breakthrough Concentration percentage or using an air-supplied respirator or SCBA. Replace cartridges every shift, or sooner if calculated service time exceeds 480 minutes. Use beyond one shift could result in shorter than expected service time and over exposure due to contaminant desorption and migration through the cartridge when not in use. Failure to follow the above warnings can result in serious personal injury or death. Mixtures of two or three chemicals can be entered directly into the calculator, even if the chemicals are from different categories. The calculator determines the time to breakthrough in accordance with OSHA Directive CPL 2-0.120 "Inspection Procedures for the Respiratory Protection Standard". Mixtures greater than three chemicals should first be classified by chemical category. The chemicals in the pull down menu fall into three categories: acid gases, basic gases, and organic vapors. The acid gases are sulfur dioxide, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen fluoride. The basic gases are ammonia and methylamine. All other chemicals in the list are organic vapors. For each category of gases, do the following: First determine the total concentration of the chemical mixture in units of ppm (C mixture) from the summation of the individual contaminant concentrations. C1+C2+C3+Cn=C mixture For each contaminant, calculate the estimated service time as if it were present as a single component at the total concentration of the mixture, C mixture. Use the smallest of these individual results as the category estimated service time. Repeat this process for any other categories of chemicals and choose the smallest category result as the overall estimated service time. You may also notice that raising the relative humidity will decrease the Breakthrough Time for organic vapors, but does not affect the Breakthrough Time for other chemicals. This is because humidity has different interactions with different categories of chemicals, and it is not a mistake in the calculator. There are chemical hazards that have an odor threshold lower than their PEL. If the selected cartridge breakthrough concentration is greater than the odor threshold, the user will sense the hazard even though it is below the PEL and before the estimated end-of-service life of the cartridge. Users can voluntarily change cartridges in this situation. Please review the MSA Response Respirator Selector Guide for other important chemical properties and warnings.
Mixtures of two or three chemicals can be entered directly into the calculator, even if the chemicals are from different categories. The calculator determines the time to breakthrough in accordance with OSHA Directive CPL 2-0.120 "Inspection Procedures for the Respiratory Protection Standard".
Mixtures greater than three chemicals should first be classified by chemical category. The chemicals in the pull down menu fall into three categories: acid gases, basic gases, and organic vapors. The acid gases are sulfur dioxide, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen fluoride. The basic gases are ammonia and methylamine. All other chemicals in the list are organic vapors. For each category of gases, do the following:
You may also notice that raising the relative humidity will decrease the Breakthrough Time for organic vapors, but does not affect the Breakthrough Time for other chemicals. This is because humidity has different interactions with different categories of chemicals, and it is not a mistake in the calculator.
There are chemical hazards that have an odor threshold lower than their PEL. If the selected cartridge breakthrough concentration is greater than the odor threshold, the user will sense the hazard even though it is below the PEL and before the estimated end-of-service life of the cartridge. Users can voluntarily change cartridges in this situation. Please review the MSA Response Respirator Selector Guide for other important chemical properties and warnings.
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