In 2001, the “Survey of Respirator Use and Practices” gathered
information on respirator use from 40,000 randomly selected U.S.
establishments. It collected data on the types of respiratory
protection workers used, types of respirator fit tests
performed, and presence of substances that prompted the decision
to use respiratory protection. The findings raised questions
regarding respirator usage practices and how these practices
compare with U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) regulations and National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommendations.Program quality
indicators Each of the indicators listed below is an important
part of an effective respirator program. If the answer to any of
these questions is no, it may indicate that an operation's
overall quality of respiratory protection is inadequate and
improvements may be needed: - Does the program include a trained
respirator program administrator? - Has management adopted a
written respirator program that determ