Per Cal/OSHA regulations and UCSB Campus Policy, all UCSB personnel who use respiratory protection equipment including filtering facepiece respirators (dust masks) shall be included in the UCSB Respiratory Protection Program. The primary objective of the UCSB Respiratory Protection Program is to prevent harmful exposures to hazardous atmospheres through the following; (1) Elimination of hazardous atmospheres wherever possible through the implementation of effective control measures, and (2) Where adequate control measures are not feasible, the use of respiratory protection to ensure exposures to hazardous atmospheres do not exceed applicable exposure limits.

Respiratory protection must be selected carefully as most respirators only provide protection against certain types of contaminates within specific concentration ranges. The UCSB Respiratory Protection Manual outlines local requirements for respirator use by campus personnel (i.e., faculty, staff, students and volunteers) while engaged in University related activities. These requirements include respirator training, fit testing, and the completion of a medical evaluation prior to being issued a respirator. Furthermore, per campus policy, The Office of Environmental Health and Safety shall act as the sole source for purchasing, fitting, and approving the use of all respiratory protection equipment on campus. See directions on how to obtain a respirator.

Supervisor & Departmental Responsibilities

Departments and their supervisors have the primary responsibility of ensuring the health and safety of their employees. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Understanding and complying with Cal/OSHA and UCSB Respiratory Protection Program requirements;
  • Ensuring documented Job Hazard Assessments (JHAs) are performed for all job tasks using hazardous substances, or requiring the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE);
  • Identifying potential respiratory hazards and ensuring that they are eliminated or properly controlled;
  • Identifying personnel who may need to be enrolled in the Respiratory Protection Program and contacting the EH&S Program Administrator for further evaluation;
  • Ensuring all use of respiratory protection equipment has been evaluated and approved by the EH&S Program Administrator;
  • Ensuring personnel who use respiratory protection equipment are enrolled in the Respiratory Protection Program and are in compliance with program requirements.
  • Enforcing the use of respiratory protective equipment where required;
  • Notifying the EH&S Program Administrator of any changes relating to their Respirator Users’ health status, or the hazards for which their respiratory protection equipment will be used;
  • Ensuring their Respirator Users complete their Respirator/Cartridge Usage Logs, and that they receive new cartridges when needed;
  • Ensuring that respiratory protection equipment is discarded, or returned to the Respiratory Protection Program Administrator when Respirator Users are unenrolled from the program, or leave UCSB; and
  • Ensuring their units understand and comply with all other UCSB Respiratory Protection Program requirements.

EH&S Resources & Services

Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) administrative responsibility for the UCSB Respiratory Protection Program, and will assist departments in meeting their requirements under the program upon request. Specific EH&S Services and Resources are listed below:

Additional Resources

Useful Links

For questions regarding the Respiratory Protection Program or to obtain respiratory protection equipment email RPP@ehs.ucsb.edu or call (805) 893-8787 or (805) 893-3743.