Understanding the Voluntary Use of Dust Masks in the Workplace
Did you know that dust masks, also known as filtering facepieces, can be used voluntarily by employees in certain situations? In this article, we will explore the voluntary use of dust masks and provide guidance for employers and workers.
In February 2024, OSHA reported that it uncovered that workers at a manufacturing company were subjected to respiratory hazards involving silica crystalline. These hazards had the potential to result in severe health issues, including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and kidney disease. If workers weren’t exposed to silica crystalline above the permissible exposure limit and there wasn’t any mandatory requirement to wear respiratory devices, they could still voluntarily wear them as long as there wasn’t any hazard in doing so.
OSHA refers to disposable paper respirators (dust masks) as “filtering facepieces.” This type of respirator is defined in OSHA’s 1910.134 Respiratory Protection Standard as a “negative pressure particulate respirator with a filter that is an integral part of the facepiece or with the entire facepiece composed of the filter medium.” When atmospheric hazards do not warrant the use of a dust mask-type respirator, but one of your employees wants to wear it anyway, you have certain responsibilities as an employer, according to OSHA.
Written program
Requirements for voluntary use of tight-fitting respirators seem more straightforward to most employers, but not when wearing dust masks. Based on a 2023 study by the J. J. Keller Center for Market Insights, the data shows that safety professionals reported a sharp decrease in their workers not wearing PPE properly that is based on individual employee preference. However, we also saw an increase in reasons that are more related to company policies and procedures from 2022. Your workplace doesn’t need a written program when voluntarily using a dust mask, but employers must still provide users with clear guidelines for proper use.
Before use, employers must provide each voluntary wearer a copy of the Respiratory Protection Standard’s Appendix D. This appendix provides basic information on the proper use of respirators for employees who are voluntary users of the equipment and, thus, are not required to undergo formal training.
When employees use dust masks voluntarily, employers are obligated to determine that the respirator use will not itself create a hazard. That is, to ensure that the dust masks are not dirty or contaminated and that use does not interfere with the employee’s ability to work safely.
Appendix D is a mandatory appendix, but you have the option to develop material that is equivalent in content to this appendix. The information may be transmitted either in written form or verbally. When a filtering facepiece respirator is necessary due to atmospheric hazards, workers must establish and implement a written respiratory protection program with worksite–specific procedures, including employee medical evaluations.
Medical evaluation
Employees who use respiratory devices such as filtering facepiece respirators voluntarily are not required to have medical evaluations.
When atmospheric hazards warrant the use of a filtering facepiece respirator, the full Respiratory Protection Standard applies, including the medical evaluation requirements.
Fit test
OSHA does not require fit tests for the voluntary use of a dust mask. Voluntary users are not prohibited from wearing a beard, even though good industrial hygiene practice recommends that facial hair that interferes with the face–to–facepiece seal should be avoided.
Cost
Employers are not required to incur any costs associated with voluntary dust mask users other than providing each of them with the information in Appendix D. If you allow the voluntary use of respirators other than filtering facepieces, then costs associated with ensuring the respirator itself does not create a hazard, such as medical evaluations and maintenance, must be provided at no cost to the employee.
Key to Remember
Even when workplace hazards don’t warrant respiratory protection, employees who wear filtering facepieces (dust masks) voluntarily need to understand how to properly use and care for them.
