ISO TS 16975-1, “Respiratory protective devices – Selection, use and maintenance – Part 1: Establishing and implementing a respiratory protective device programme,” has just been released. This new Technical Specification and it’s companion specification ISO TS 16975-2 help you determine when there’s a risk of the presence of a hazardous atmosphere and choose the correct respiratory protection device (RPD) for your situation. It is geared towards helping employers establish and implement a safety program for the use of these devices. It contains information on risk assessment, the process for selection, training, use and maintenance.
The use of RPDs can prevent injury, illness or death. With such risks associated with hazardous atmospheres, select and use of these devices can be critical. Using this technical specification and it’s companion can help anyone responsible for the use of these products to make sure that all risks are being adequately addressed.
Your ISO TS 16975-1 covers situations for using RPDs, information on an RPD program, and risk assessment for making your RPD selection. This includes flow charts to help you with your selection procedure, training, and maintenance and storage. Even records and record-keeping are addressed. However, a major portion of the publication is devoted to eleven informative Annexes, all packed with practical information for you to use.
Some topics found in this Annex section are the types and components of RPDs, hazard assessment, suitability assessment, compressed air pressures for RPDs, classification overview, and an example of a selection record form. A 12-item bibliography completes the document.
If you’re in a small or medium-sized enterprise, you may want to take a look at the ISO TS 16975-2 as well. It’s a “condensed guide” for establishing and implementing a RPD program. Here you’ll find basic information on risk assessment, selection procedures, training, use, and maintenance. Guidance is enhanced by the use of a table format as a review of the selection process. It provides you with a step-by-step approach to your RPD decision making challenges.
Now you’ll need a copy of one or both of these ISO standards. Document Center Inc. is an authorized distributor of these publications, so search for and order standards at our webstore, www.document-center.com. Here’s a link to the order page for ISO TS 16975-1 and the order page for ISO TS 16975-2 for your convenience. They’re available for purchase in either paper format or for pdf download.
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