Environmental Health & Safety

Respiratory Protection: Voluntary Use

Requirements:

Here are the steps to request a voluntary use respirator (N-95)

  1. Request (Online)
  2. Pick Up (In-Person) at EH&S or The Well

Step 1. Request

Complete the Voluntary Use Respiratory Protection Request form online.

Step 2. Pick Up

Pick Up your respirators Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm at EH&S (or other designated locations, such as The Well)
1) Receive respirators
2) Obtain a copy of the training handout
3) Complete documentation and acknowledgment. Since the use of a respirator is voluntary, you will be asked to sign an acknowledgement of use when you pick them up that will be kept on file. 

N95 Respirator Bulk Order (100+ N95 Respirators)

1.    Identify a UCR department contact who will be responsible for managing the issued N95 respirator supply 
2.    The UCR department contact should email ehsih@ucr.edu with information regarding the requested N95 respirator bulk order (e.g., quantity requested, number of staff) 
3.    EH&S will coordinate with the department contact to provide a bulk order of N95 respirators 

Mandatory Information for Employees Using Respirators
when not Required Under the Standard Appendix D to Sec. 1910.34

Respirators are an effective method of protection against designated hazards when properly selected and worn. Respirator use is encouraged, even when exposures are below the exposure limit, to provide an additional level of comfort and protection for workers. However, if a respirator is used improperly or not kept clean, the respirator itself can become a hazard to the worker. Sometimes, workers may wear respirators to avoid exposures to hazards, even if the amount of hazardous substance does not exceed the limits set by OSHA standards. If your employer provides respirators for your voluntary use, or if you provide your own respirator, you need to take certain precautions to be sure that the respirator itself does not present a hazard.

As a reminder, you should do the following:

  1. Read and heed all instructions provided by the manufacturer on use, maintenance, cleaning and care, and warnings regarding the respirator’s limitations.
  2. Choose respirators certified for use to protect against the contaminant of concern. NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, certifies respirators. A label or statement of certification should appear on the respirator or respirator packaging. It will tell you what the respirator is designed for and how much it will protect you.
  3. Do not wear your respirator into atmospheres containing contaminants for which your respirator is not designed to protect against. For example, a respirator designed to filter dust particles will not protect you against gases, vapors, or very small solid particles of fumes or smoke.
  4. Keep track of your respirator so that you do not mistakenly use someone else's respirator.

If during the course of your work at UCR you job duties change and you are required to wear respiratory protection, you will need to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Requirements section.