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29 CFR 1910.134: Respiratory protection

Subpart I—Personal Protective Equipment

When workers need respirators, the employer has to run a written respiratory protection program: the right respirator for the hazard, a medical evaluation before use, fit testing, and training.

59,918citations since 2015
25,286employers cited
69%serious, willful or repeat
$0median penalty per item

OSHA has cited 29 CFR 1910.134 59,918 times since 2015, against 25,286 employers. Penalties on these items add up to $56,313,362 at their current amounts.

Citations per year

The parts of the rule cited most

1910.134(e)(1) · 10,884 citations

(1) General. The employer shall provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee's ability to use a respirator, before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace. The employer may discontinue an employee's medical evaluations when the employee is no longer required to use a respirator.

1910.134(c)(1) · 8,739 citations

(1) The test instrument must have an effective audio-warning device, or a visual-warning device in the form of a screen tracing, that indicates when the test subject fails to hold his or her breath during the test. The test must be terminated and restarted from the beginning when the test subject fails to hold his or her breath during the test. The test subject then may be refitted and retested.

1910.134(f)(2) · 6,519 citations

(2) Deep breathing. In a normal standing position, the subject shall breathe slowly and deeply, taking caution so as not to hyperventilate.

1910.134(c)(2)(i) · 4,512 citations

(i) An employer may provide respirators at the request of employees or permit employees to use their own respirators, if the employer determines that such respirator use will not in itself create a hazard. If the employer determines that any voluntary respirator use is permissible, the employer shall provide the respirator users with the information contained in appendix D to this section (“Information for Employees Using Respirators When Not Required Under the Standard”); and

1910.134(f)(1) · 3,031 citations

(1) Normal breathing. In a normal standing position, without talking, the subject shall breathe normally.

1910.134(c)(2)(ii) · 2,962 citations

(ii) In addition, the employer must establish and implement those elements of a written respiratory protection program necessary to ensure that any employee using a respirator voluntarily is medically able to use that respirator, and that the respirator is cleaned, stored, and maintained so that its use does not present a health hazard to the user. Exception: Employers are not required to include in a written respiratory protection program those employees whose only use of respirators involves the voluntary use of filtering facepieces (dust masks).

1910.134(k)(6) · 2,432 citations

(6) The basic advisory information on respirators, as presented in appendix D of this section, shall be provided by the employer in any written or oral format, to employees who wear respirators when such use is not required by this section or by the employer.

1910.134(k) · 2,007 citations

(k) Training and information. This paragraph requires the employer to provide effective training to employees who are required to use respirators. The training must be comprehensive, understandable, and recur annually, and more often if necessary. This paragraph also requires the employer to provide the basic information on respirators in appendix D of this section to employees who wear respirators when not required by this section or by the employer to do so.

Industries cited most

  • Manufacturing 25,705
  • Construction 8,825
  • Other Services (except Public Administration) 5,109
  • Public Administration 4,391
  • Health Care and Social Assistance 3,694
  • Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 2,240

States cited most

Recently cited employers