Respiratory Protection Program

In 2021, Respiratory Protection (standard 1910.134) was the second most frequently cited OSHA violation at a penalty cost of up to $15,625 per violation. Last year, 2,527 Respiratory Protection violations were cited in Northern Illinois. Willful or repeated violations were penalized at greater than $156,000 per violation. Having a strong Respiratory Protection Program in place can help protect residents and staff while reducing financial and reputational risk for long-term care facilities.

Our team at ECHO-Chicago in partnership with Project HOPE will support long-term care facilities with clinical, engineering, and administrative consultation for the development of a robust Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) that:

• meets all aspects of OSHA Respiratory Protection Program Standard 1910.134
• improves health outcomes for staff, residents, and visitors to the facility
• provides a solid return on investment by way of training, consultation, materials, equipment, supplies, and cost-avoidance related to OSHA penalties and other Civil Monetary Penalties

This ECHO program will help each facility review their RPP Program Content and will provide training, consultation, materials, and supplies to meet compliance with the OSHA RPP standard. This program will also provide an in-person FIT Test activity for all participating facilities.

Topics for Case-Based Learning and Discussion Include:

• Program Overview & Gap analysis
• Compliance with Respiratory Protection Program Written Requirements
• Review Fit Testing Requirements and Action Planning
• Environmental Controls
• Evaluation and Quality Improvement Processes for Respiratory Protection
• RPP Presentations