Enforcement

The Respiratory Protection Standard (1910.134) is usually one of the top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of workplaces by OSHA. This section highlights the most commonly used OSHA directives (i.e., instructions for compliance officers) and standard interpretations (i.e., official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to respiratory protection, which can assist employers in better complying with the Respiratory Protection Standard.

Compliance Directives (written statements of the Agency’s policies and procedures regarding a specific topic that provide instructions for compliance officers conducting inspections):

• 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).
  
  
• Enforcement Procedures and Scheduling for Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis. CPL 02-00-106 [CPL 2.106], (1996, February 9). Provides uniform inspection procedures and guidelines to be followed by compliance officers when conducting inspections and issuing citations regarding employees who are occupationally exposed to tuberculosis.
  
  
• Search all available directives.

Letters of Interpretation (supplementary guidance that clarifies the application of an established Agency policy or procedure)

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Protection. (2004, July 30).
  
  
• Respiratory protection requirements for hospital staff decontaminating chemically contaminated patients. (2002, September 5).
  
  
• 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).
  
  
• Conduct of respiratory protection medical evaluations by medical technicians. (1998, October 16).
  
  
• Search all available standard interpretations.

Additional Information

• OSHA Alert: Loss of Start-Up Oxygen in CSE SR-100 Self-Contained Self-Rescuers [2 MB PDF^*, 2 pages]. (2012, April). Alerts employers and workers using the CSE Corporation's SR-100 Self-Contained Self-Rescuer (SCSR) to potential failure problems with these respirators.

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