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Respiratory Protection

4.8(14 reviews)
Respiratory Protection

Course Overview

Respiratory protection training built to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134 for anyone who wears a respirator at work. In about 90 minutes, four parts cover the written program, medical evaluation, respirator selection, fit testing, use and emergencies.

  • Covers air-purifying and supplied-air respirators, and which ones are never acceptable in an IDLH space.
  • Walks through the medical evaluation: the Appendix C questionnaire, the PLHCP, and what rules a worker out.
  • Explains what a fit test actually proves, how the two methods differ, and why it has to happen in person.

Because respiratory hazards often overlap, workers may also need our Crystalline Silica and Asbestos Awareness courses.

  • 90 minutes, self-paced
  • Instant certificate
  • Mobile friendly
$25.00

Per seat. One-time payment, no subscription.

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Need A Business Account?Volume discounts for teams of 5 or more.

Everything You Need to Know
About This Course

The Respiratory Protection course runs in four parts with a knowledge check after each, then a final exam. It follows the shape of the standard itself: the program and the hazards, respirator selection, the medical program, and use, care and emergencies.

  • Airborne hazards: dusts, fumes, mists, gases, vapours and oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
  • The written respiratory protection program and the role of the program administrator.
  • Respirator selection: air-purifying respirators, PAPRs and supplied-air respirators.
  • IDLH atmospheres and the respirators required in them.
  • Medical evaluation by a PLHCP and the Appendix C questionnaire.
  • The information the employer gives the PLHCP: respirator type and weight, duration, work effort, clothing, temperature and humidity.
  • Medical conditions that can make respirator use unsafe, from lung and heart disease to claustrophobia.
  • When a further medical evaluation is triggered.
  • Fit testing: qualitative and quantitative methods, and when a retest is needed.
  • Putting on, wearing and removing a respirator, and user seal checks.
  • Cleaning, disinfecting, inspecting, repairing and storing respirators.
  • Voluntary respirator use and what the employer still owes those workers.
  • Recognising exposure symptoms, including carbon monoxide at rising concentrations.
  • Heat stress and the strain of wearing a respirator in hot conditions.
  • Emergency situations and respirator failure.
  • Records: medical evaluations, fit tests and the written program.

OSHA StandardOSHA 29 CFR 1910.134
Course Duration90 minutes
Format100% online, fully narrated with photos and interactivity
Passing Score70% on final exam
CertificatePersonalized certificate, printable immediately upon passing
LanguagesEnglish
Device CompatibilityDesktop, tablet, and smartphone
ProgressProgress saved automatically, stop and restart without losing your place
Instructor SupportAccess professional instructors for guidance and answers to your course-related questions.
AcceptedOur courses meet federal standards, but state requirements may vary. Please verify before purchase.

The Respiratory Protection course is for anyone who wears a respirator at work, required or voluntary, and for the program administrators who run the program.

  • Construction workers exposed to dust, silica or chemical vapours.
  • Painters and spray finishing workers.
  • Welders exposed to fumes and gases.
  • Healthcare workers using N95 or higher respirators.
  • Firefighters and emergency responders.
  • HAZWOPER and hazardous materials workers.
  • Manufacturing workers exposed to airborne contaminants.
  • Asbestos and lead abatement workers.
  • Laboratory workers handling volatile chemicals.
  • Mining and quarry workers.
  • Program administrators running a written respiratory protection program.

These are the operations where the air itself is the hazard, and where a respirator is what stands between a worker and what they are breathing.

  • Construction, for dust, silica and chemical exposure
  • Manufacturing and production facilities
  • Oil and gas operations
  • Chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing
  • Healthcare facilities
  • Mining and quarry operations
  • Painting and spray finishing
  • Welding and metal fabrication
  • Asbestos and lead abatement
  • Agriculture and pesticide application
  • Fire departments and emergency services

Respiratory Protection or a Specific Hazard Course?

Respiratory Protection covers the respirator itself and the program behind it. Where a crew breathes one named substance, the substance has its own course and its own standard on top of this one.

  • Respiratory Protection. The page you are on. Ninety minutes on 29 CFR 1910.134: the written program, medical evaluation, selecting respirators, fit testing, wearing and cleaning them, and emergencies. Buy it every year for anyone who wears a respirator.
  • Crystalline Silica for General Industry. For crews cutting, grinding or drilling concrete, stone or masonry, where respirable crystalline silica is the exposure driving the respirator. View the Crystalline Silica for General Industry
  • Asbestos Awareness. For workers who may disturb asbestos-containing material in older buildings, covering how to recognise it and what to do. View the Asbestos Awareness

Anyone issued a respirator comes back to this course on the yearly cycle 29 CFR 1910.134(k)(5) sets. Add the substance course where a crew is exposed to that named material.

 

The Four Duties in a Respiratory Protection Program

29 CFR 1910.134 sets several duties that run on different schedules, and mixing them up is how a program falls behind. The Respiratory Protection course covers all four.

  • Training: annual. 29 CFR 1910.134(k)(5) requires retraining every year, plus whenever the workplace or respirator changes or a worker has not retained the skill.
  • Fit testing: annual. 29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2) requires a fit test before first use, whenever a different facepiece is used, and at least annually after that.
  • Medical evaluation: on trigger. 29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1) requires a medical evaluation before fit testing or use. OSHA has confirmed the standard sets no specific annual requirement, with further evaluations on defined triggers.
  • Program evaluation: ongoing. 29 CFR 1910.134(l) requires the employer to evaluate the workplace to confirm the written program is working, and to consult employees about respirator use.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Respiratory Protection.

Respiratory protection training teaches workers how to properly select, use, inspect, and maintain respirators to protect against airborne hazards in the workplace. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134, employers must provide training before workers use respirators, covering: when and why respirators are necessary, how to put on and remove them, limitations of respirators, medical evaluation requirements, fit testing procedures, maintenance and storage, and emergency procedures. Training must be repeated annually.

OSHA requires respiratory protection training for all employees who are required to wear respirators in the workplace, as well as those who voluntarily use respirators (filtering facepieces/N95s used voluntarily have reduced requirements). This includes construction workers exposed to silica or dust, painters, welders, healthcare workers, firefighters, HAZWOPER workers, asbestos/lead abatement workers, laboratory workers, and anyone exposed to harmful airborne contaminants above OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs).

OSHA requires annual respiratory protection retraining - at a minimum once every 12 months. Retraining is also required when changes in workplace conditions or respirator types make previous training obsolete, when workers demonstrate inadequate knowledge, or when any other situation arises that requires retraining. Annual fit testing is also required separately.

A fit test is a procedure to verify that a specific make, model, and size of respirator forms an adequate seal on a worker’s face. OSHA requires fit testing before initial use and at least annually thereafter. There are two types: (1) Qualitative fit testing (QLFT) – a pass/fail test using taste or smell agents (like Bitrex or saccharin); (2) Quantitative fit testing (QNFT) – uses instruments to measure actual leakage into the facepiece. Online training does not replace the hands-on fit test, which must be done in person.

Air-purifying respirators (APRs) filter contaminants from ambient air using cartridges, canisters, or filters. They include N95 filtering facepieces, half-face and full-face respirators, and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs). Supplied-air respirators (SARs) provide clean breathing air from an external source through a hose or self-contained tank (SCBA). SARs are required in oxygen-deficient atmospheres (below 19.5%) and in IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) conditions where APRs are insufficient.

OSHA requires employers to establish a written respiratory protection program when respirators are required in the workplace. The program must include: procedures for selecting respirators, medical evaluation requirements, fit testing procedures, proper use and maintenance, training provisions, air quality standards for supplied-air systems, and program evaluation procedures. A designated program administrator must oversee implementation.

Before an employee can be fit tested or use a respirator, OSHA requires a medical evaluation to determine the worker’s ability to wear a respirator. The evaluation uses the OSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire (Appendix C to 29 CFR 1910.134) and is reviewed by a physician or other licensed health care professional (PLHCP). Workers with conditions like lung disease, heart disease, or claustrophobia may be restricted from certain respirator types.

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) tests and certifies respirators to ensure they meet minimum performance standards. OSHA requires that employers only provide NIOSH-certified respirators. Common NIOSH certifications include N95 (filters at least 95% of airborne particles), N99, N100, R95, P95, and P100 for particulate respirators, and specific approvals for gas/vapor cartridges. Always verify respirators bear the NIOSH approval label.

IDLH stands for Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health – an atmosphere that poses an immediate threat to life, would cause irreversible health effects, or would impair a worker’s ability to escape. Examples include oxygen levels below 19.5%, high concentrations of toxic gases, and fire/explosion hazards. In IDLH conditions, OSHA requires the highest level of respiratory protection: either a full-face pressure-demand SCBA or a combination full-face SAR with an escape SCBA.

Yes. Upon passing the final exam with a score of 70% or higher, you can immediately print a certificate of completion. This certificate serves as proof of training for your employer.

Yes. The course is accessible on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Progress saves automatically on the same device, so you can stop and resume where you left off.

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