Uploaded April 2013 | Updated September 2026, 17 hours ago
Fit testing is the only accepted way to determine if the respirator fits properly. Periodic testing is needed to ensure the fit continues to be acceptable. In 1963, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) published their first Respiratory Protective Devices Manual. This manual introduced the iso-amyl acetate fit test for gas and vapor cartridges and stressed the importance of proper fit during training for respirator use. In April 1998, OSHA's new respiratory protection rule went into effect. OSHA had begun to revise the rule in 1982. This new rule clarified, updated, and strengthened OSHA's previous respiratory protection standard, which was adopted by the Agency in 1971 and had remained essentially unchanged since that time. This rulemaking is thus the first major revision to OSHA's respiratory protection standard in more than 25 years. For much more information on current respiratory protection information and OSHA requirements, go to the webpage osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/index.html . This is clipped from the 1978 DOD training film Fit to Breathe -- made to train civilians, the film explains the requirements for the proper use of respirators to protect workers from environmental air pollution, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
Fit testing is the only accepted way to determine if the respirator fits properly. Periodic testing is needed to ensure the fit continues to be acceptable. In 1963, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) published their first Respiratory Protective Devices Manual. This manual introduced the iso-amyl acetate fit test for gas and vapor cartridges and stressed the importance of proper fit during training for respirator use. In April 1998, OSHA's new respiratory protection rule went into effect. OSHA had begun to revise the rule in 1982. This new rule clarified, updated, and strengthened OSHA's previous respiratory protection standard, which was adopted by the Agency in 1971 and had remained essentially unchanged since that time. This rulemaking is thus the first major revision to OSHA's respiratory protection standard in more than 25 years. For much more information on current respiratory protection information and OSHA requirements, go to the webpage osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/index.html . This is clipped from the 1978 DOD training film Fit to Breathe -- made to train civilians, the film explains the requirements for the proper use of respirators to protect workers from environmental air pollution, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
