Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".
 

Note: Twenty-four states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

General Industry (29 CFR 1910)

• 1910 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment
  • 1910.134, Respiratory protection
    • Appendix A, Fit testing procedures (Mandatory)
    • Appendix B-1, User seal check procedures (Mandatory)
    • Appendix B-2, Respiratory cleaning procedures (Mandatory)
    • Appendix C, OSHA respirator medical evaluation questionnaire (Mandatory)
    • Appendix D, Information for employees using respirators when not required under standard (Mandatory)
• The following standards include respiratory protection elements that may be affected by the revised standard 29 CFR 1910.134.
• 1910 Subpart L, Fire protection 
  • 1910.156, Fire brigades [related topic page]
  • Appendix A, Fire protection
• 1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic page]
  • 1910.1000, Air contaminants 
  • 1910.1001, Asbestos [related topic page]
  • 1910.1017, Vinyl chloride
  • 1910.1018, Inorganic arsenic [related topic page]
  • 1910.1025, Lead [related topic page]
  • 1910.1026, Chromium (VI)
  • 1910.1027, Cadmium [related topic page]
  • 1910.1028, Benzene [related topic page]
  • 1910.1029, Coke oven emissions
  • 1910.1044, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane
  • 1910.1045, Acrylonitrile
  • 1910.1047, Ethylene oxide [related topic page]
  • 1910.1048, Formaldehyde [related topic page]
  • 1910.1050, Methylenedianiline
  • 1910.1051, 1,3-butadiene [related topic page]
  • 1910.1052, Methylene chloride

Shipyard Employment (29 CFR 1915)

• 1915 Subpart I, Personal protective Equipment
  • 1915.154, Respiratory protection
• 1915 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances
  • 1915.1001, Asbestos
  • 1915.1026, Chromium (VI)

Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917)

• 1917 Subpart E, Personal protection
  • 1917.92, Respiratory protection

Longshoring (29 CFR 1918)

• 1918 Subpart J, Personal protective equipment
  • 1918.102, Respiratory protection

Construction (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart D, Occupational health and environmental controls
  • 1926.60, Methylenedianiline
  • 1926.62, Lead
• 1926 Subpart E, Personal protective and life saving equipment
  • 1926.103, Respiratory protection
• 1926 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances
  • 1926.1101, Asbestos
  • 1926.1127, Cadmium
  • 1926.1126, Chromium (VI)

• The OSHA Regulatory Agenda contains an entry related to respiratory protection.

• Respiratory Protection (1998)
• Search all available preambles to final rules.

• Assigned Protection Factors; Final Rule. Final Rules 71:50121-50192, (2006, August 24). Revises the existing Respiratory Protection Standard to add definitions and requirements for Assigned Protection Factors (APFs) and Maximum Use Concentrations (MUCs). The revisions also supersede the respirator selection provisions of existing substance-specific standards with these new APFs (except for the respirator selection provisions of the 1,3-Butadiene Standard).
• Assigned Protection Factors. Proposed Rules 69:16510-16511, (2004, March 30). Extends the deadline for receipt of post-hearing public comments and briefs on its proposed "Assigned Protection Factors" rule.
• Assigned Protection Factors; Proposed Rule. Proposed Rules 68:34035-34119, (2003, June 6), 2 MB PDF, 85 pages. Seeks to revise the existing Respiratory Protection Standard to add definitions and specific requirements for assigned protection factors (APFs) and maximum use concentrations (MUCs).
• Controlled Negative Pressure REDON Fit Testing Protocol. Proposed Rules 68:33887-33894, (2003, June 6). Proposes to approve an additional controlled negative pressure (CNP) fit testing protocol for its Respiratory Protection Standard.
• Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis; Proposed Rule; Termination of Rulemaking Respiratory Protection for M. Tuberculosis; Final Rule; Revocation. Proposed Rules 68:75767-75775, (2003, December 31). OSHA withdrew its 1997 proposed standard on Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis (TB) because it was unlikely to result in a meaningful reduction of disease transmission caused by contact with the most significant remaining source of occupational risk exposure to individuals with undiagnosed and unsuspected TB.
• Respiratory Protection Standard; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of the Information-Collection (Paperwork) Requirements. Notice 66:22016-22017, (2001, May 2). Solicits comments concerning its proposal to decrease the existing burden-hour estimates, and to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the collection-of-information requirements of the Respiratory Protection Standard.
• 42 CFR Part 84 Respiratory Protective Devices. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (1995, June 2). Provides a technical summary of the above rule.
• Search all available Federal Registers.

• Respiratory Protection Program Guidelines. CPL 02-02-054 [CPL 2-254A], (2000, July 14). Sets forth guidelines for establishing and implementing an OSHA respirator program to ensure that all OSHA employees are protected from exposure to respiratory hazards.
• Inspection procedures for the Respiratory Protection Standard. CPL 02-00-120 [CPL 2-0.120], (1998, September 25). Establishes agency interpretations and enforcement policies, and provides instructions to ensure uniform enforcement of the Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134).
• 29 CFR 1910.134(e)(5)-- Respirator Fit-Testing. CPL 02-02-29 [CPL 2-2.29], (1980, October 27). Provides guidance regarding enforcement policy for the respirator fit-testing requirement under 29 CFR 1910.134(e)(5).
• Search all available directives.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Protection. (2004, July 30). Defines the new enforcement policy for tuberculosis under 29 CFR 1910.134. Effective July 2, 2004, covered establishments must comply with 29 CFR 1910.134 when using respirators for protection from tuberculosis (TB). 
  • Comparison of Respiratory Protection for TB Standard (29 CFR 1910.139) with 29 CFR 1910.134. Also available as a 132 KB PDF, 29 pages. Most of the requirements in 29 CFR 1910.134, and the former 29 CFR 1910.139 are basically the same, however five areas now have more detailed requirements.
• Respiratory protection requirements for hospital staff decontaminating chemically contaminated patients. (2002, September 5).
• Preemption of respiratory protection standard by DOT's Office of Pipeline Safety regulations. (1999, April 8).
• Clarification of the medical evaluation provisions of the revised respiratory protection standard. (1998, November 16).
• Questions and answers regarding the respiratory protection standard. (1998, October 16).
• Medical evaluation requirements under the respiratory protection standard. (1998, October 5).
• Conduct of respiratory protection medical evaluations by medical technicians. (1998, October 16).
• The OSHA interpretation of respiratory protection requirements with regards to tuberculosis (TB) exposure. (1996, February 5).
• Search all available standard interpretations.

• Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard (CFR 1910.134). OSHA Publication 9071, (1999). Also available as a 706 KB PDF, 149 pages. Helps small businesses comply with the new Respiratory Protection Standard. A sample respiratory protection program is included in Appendix IV.
  • Questions and Answers on the Respiratory Protection Standard. OSHA, (1998, August 17), 242 KB PDF, 82 pages. Provides questions and answers relating to each paragraph of the Respiratory Protection Standard. A Spanish translation of the Medical Questionnaire (Appendix C) is included at the end of the document.