- Homepage
- Departments
- Occupational Safety & Risk Management
- Industrial Hygiene & Occupational Safety
- Respirator Use
- Selection Guidelines
Selection Guidelines
- Animal Research Safety
- Biological Safety
- Acute Biological Toxins
- Autoclaves
- Biohazard Project Registration
- Biohazardous Waste Disposal
- Biological Spills
- BioPath Program
- BloodBorne Pathogen Program
- NIH Guidelines Flowchart
- Plant Research & Greenhouses
- Recombinant & Synthetic Nucleic Acids
- Research Involving Flying Insects
- SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Specimen Research
- Select Agents
- Shipping and Transport of Biological Materials
- Vaccination for Research Personnel
- Chemical and Lab Safety
- Acids That Deserve Special Attention
- Chemical Exposures
- Chemical Hygiene Plan
- Chemical Inventory
- Chemical Spills
- Chemical Storage and Management
- Compressed Gas
- Controlled Substances & Pharmaceutical Products
- Cryogens
- Equipment Decontamination
- Equipment Purchase Approval
- First Aid Kit Info
- Hydrofluoric Acid
- Lab Safety Manual
- Lab Ventilation & Fume Hoods
- Lessons Learned
- Minors and Visitors in the Lab
- New Labs, Moving Labs & Closeouts
- Peroxide Forming Compounds
- Safety Surveys
- Signage & Stickers
- Standard Operating Procedures
- Signage
- Chemical Safety Information
- Gator TRACS
- Hazardous Waste Management
- Radiation and Laser Safety
- Report Lab Closeout
- Boating & Dive Safety
- Drones/UAS
- Ergonomics
- Industrial Hygiene & Occupational Safety
- Occupational Medicine
- Risk Management Insurance & Liability
- Building Codes Enforcement
- Building Emergency Coordinators
- ADA Assessment
- Certificate of Occupancy or Completion
- Applicable Building Codes for the State of Florida and the University of Florida
- Code Permit Fee Schedule
- Inspections
- Permit Application Process
- Permit Instructions
- Plan Submittal Guidelines
- Temporary Structures on Campus – Including Tents
- Chartfield Form Codes Permits
- Fire Plan Review and Inspection
- Pest Management
The following information provides only a brief summary of the respirator selection process. For more information, contact the EH&S Respiratory Protection Program Manager at 352-392-1591.
The first step in selecting the appropriate respirator is to identify the activity or process the individual will be engaged in. The concentration of the air-borne contaminant should be determined either through exposure assessments using air sampling methods or by making a reasonable estimate of the concentration encountered in the work area. These results are then compared to established “safe levels of exposure” using published exposure limits and guidelines.
Additional steps in the process include:
- Assessing the respirator’s assigned protection factors
- The time the wearer will spend using the respirator
- Researching existing standards for a chemical that may require a specific type of respiratory protection
- The atmosphere the respirator will be used in (e.g. oxygen deficient)
- The physical and filtering limitations of the respirator