william schran on sun 30 jan 05
Vince wrote:>The hard-core OSHA fanatics say that people with beards
should not bother
with respirators at all. Just like they say that workers in the employ of
others should not wear respirators at all unless their employees provide an
OSHA-approved respirator training program. <
Here in the Commonwealth of Virginia ALL employees who work in an
environment or work with materials that require the use of a
respirator MUST every year: have a physical (heart/lungs, same as
folks working with asbestos removal), have a written personal
protection plan and undergo complete training and undergo a fit test.
As a teacher at a state supported community college, working with
materials that require the use of a respirator, I must adhere to
these guidelines.
I was the one who determined that, due to working with dry clay/glaze
materials, I needed to where a respirator. When I began teaching at
the institution ignorance reigned. Nobody said anything to me, nobody
asked any questions. I wrote my protection plan and submitted it to
our health & safety person, who also conducts the fit test on me.
Nobody else in our institution is in my situation of working with dry
clay/glaze materials. Instructors at two other campuses also teach
pottery, but their facilities are not as extensive as mine and have
their students use commercially produced glazes.
Now, having said all that, I used to have a full beard. When the
institution became more serious about adhering to OSHA guidelines for
our science and automotive programs regarding hazardous materials and
disposal of hazardous waste, I knew I needed to be proactive in
dealing with materials we use in our ceramics program. I did all the
research and wrote our plans (hazardous materials, maintain MSDS and
personal protection) knowing that folks from Virginia Dept. of
Environmental Quality come around on a regular basis to conduct
inspections. I didn't want to face closing down of our program.
I now have a mustache and goatee. Even though a clean shaven face is
required to wear a respirator, I have been able to go through the
extensive fit test and pass with no problem. I made the decision to
meet the requirements half way. It's worked well. I am more informed
and I'm able to pass along this information to my students,
especially those students who are pregnant.
Bill in Fredericksburg, VA, where we got a 1/4 inch of sleet/ice and
3/4" of snow on top of that.
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