Providing your workforce with respiratory protection against respiratory hazards, such as the virus that causes COVID-19, is a safety standard regulated and enforced by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). Employers have an obligation to protect their employees from hazards in the workplace (General Duty WAC 296-126-094).
In healthcare facilities, the tight-fitting disposable ‘N95' respirator is a commonly used for respiratory protection. Respirator fit testing ensures that tight-fitting respirators seal properly, and helps protect employees from exposure to airborne particles such as viruses and bacteria. Keep your employees safe and working by getting them fit tested and ready to properly use a respirator.
If your facility is in an outbreak, email our Occupational Health Team at HAI-FitTest@doh.wa.gov as soon as possible and include **OUTBREAK** in the subject line.
For Fit Testing training, please see our Fit Testing Training webpage.
Five Steps of the Respiratory Protection Program (PDF)
DOH continues to support LTC facilities with their respiratory protection program needs. Email HAI-FitTest@doh.wa.gov if your facility needs assistance with any component of the respiratory protection program (see image above).
Please note: All activities relating to the respiratory protection program should be done on paid time and at no cost to the employee (i.e., the employer pays for the employee's time, travel, and any other associated costs).
The written respiratory protection program is a plan for how you will provide respiratory protection for employees at your facility. It helps you identify procedures for your facility to follow in providing proper respiratory protection, medical evaluations, respirator training, respirator fit testing, etc. See Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 296-842-12005 for details about the written respiratory protection program requirements.
Because the written respiratory protection program is the facility’s plan on how to provide respiratory protection for the employees, it needs to be written down for the employees to use as a reference. It will also help new employees understand how they are to protect themselves if N95 use is necessary. See Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 296-842-12005 for details about the written respiratory protection program requirements.
For assistance developing a respiratory protection program for your facility, see the following resources and/or contact consultation services at the Department of Labor and Industries.
Respirator medical evaluations determine whether it is safe for health care employees to use respirators. Employees complete a medical questionnaire to help identify potential health issues with respirator usage in a work setting. See WAC 296-842-14005 and WAC 296-842-22005 for more information about medical evaluation for respirator use.
DOH will cover the cost of medical evaluations for a limited time. To enroll your employees in no-cost online respirator medical evaluations, please send the following information to HAI-FitTest@doh.wa.gov: • Facility/agency name, address, and facility DSHS license number • Contact person, email address, and phone number • Estimated number of employees requiring medical evaluation at your facility/agency • Include **MEDICAL EVALUATION** in the subject line
Respirator medical evaluations determine whether it is safe for health care workers to use respirators. Workers complete a medical questionnaire to help identify potential health issues with respirator usage in a work setting. See WAC 296-842-14005 and WAC 296-842-22005 for more information about medical evaluation for respirator use.
Licensed healthcare providers with occupational health or respiratory protection program expertise can do the medical evaluations. Health care facilities/agencies may do the following: hire a qualified contractor, do this in-house, or use an online respirator medical evaluation program. DOH currently provides no-cost online respirator medical evaluations for a limited time. For more information, please email HAI-FitTest@doh.wa.gov.
If your employee received a “Referred” status from the online medical evaluation, this means the Occupational Medicine provider has determined that the employee needs to have an in-person medical evaluation.
After healthcare employees receive their written recommendation stating they can use a respirator, they must complete the facility’s site-specific respirator training before their first use of the respirator (WAC 296-842-16005), then annually.
The employee has a responsibility in the process also. They must take the time to learn and understand how the N95 will protect them and how to use it properly. The training should be designed specifically for the facility and include elements of their written program, such as when to use N95s. Below is a list of what the training should include.
Then, respirator training needs to be done every 12 months (see WAC 296-842-16005) for details about training requirements).
Employees that supervise N95 users are also required to take the training. If there is any question about respiratory protection, the employee will first go to their supervisor and their supervisor must be knowledgeable enough to troubleshoot any issue that may arise.
To help create your respirator training program, please see the resources below:
The N95 protects the user when the seal around the person’s nose and mouth is tight enough to prevent the respiratory hazards from leaking into their breathing space. The fit test tests the seal of the respirator being worn by the person. There are two types of fit testing, quantitative and qualitative. DOH uses the qualitative method of fit testing.
In accordance with WAC 296-842-16005 and WAC 296-842-22010, facilities need to provide respirator fit testing for tight-fitting respirators.
The requirement for annual fit testing was reinstated as of January 1, 2022, enforceable by L&I.
For information in other languages, please visit the Adult Family Home Council webpage .
Respirator fit testing is a 20-30 minute procedure to ensure a proper seal between the respirator face piece and the employee’s face. When fit tested, an employee must select and wear the same make/model/size respirator they were fitted to.
Respirator fit testing is done initially (upon hire or transfer), and then every year (within 12-months of the date of the last fit test).
NOTE: While users must perform a seal check upon donning a respirator each time, this is not a substitute for fit testing. Please see our Fit Testing Training webpage.
Before workers employees at a facility/agency undergo respirator fit testing, the following steps must be completed:
DOH continues to support LTC facilities with fit testing needs. Email the Occupational Health Team and we will provide you with the information you will need to prepare for fit testing and connect you to the DOH fit test vendor. Or email the team with your vendor questions.
NOTE: If your facility is currently in COVID-19 outbreak status and need respirator fit testing for primary caregivers, Please include **OUTBREAK** in the subject line and be sure to also notify your Local Health Jurisdiction.
EMAIL: HAI-FitTest@doh.wa.gov
Yes, you can conduct your own respirator fit tests. However, learning to do respirator fit testing is a significant time commitment and can be challenging. Conducting it incorrectly can result in increased risk to employees as well as regulatory penalties.
DOH can train facilities individuals to do their own valid respirator fit testing. There is no charge for this service. For more information about fit testing training, please see our Fit Testing Training webpage.
Conducting your own respirator fit tests will maintain and sustain your Respiratory Protection Program. See WAC 296-842-15005 for more information about conducting respirator fit tests.
Keep a copy of your written respiratory protection program in a place where it is accessible to your employees. You will need to update it periodically with regulatory changes and facility changes (e.g., new types of N95s, changes in processes, etc.).
Medical evaluations done by a vendor: The licensed healthcare provider reviewing the medical evaluations must provide you with a written letter of recommendation for each employee who needs to wear a respirator. The letter of recommendation will need to include the date the review was done, how long it is valid, document any restrictions the person may have, and signed by the licensed healthcare provider. The current letter of recommendation must be kept on file, and it is suggested to keep 7-10 previous letters.
Medical evaluations done in-house: If you provide the questionnaire and an in-house licensed healthcare provider reviews them, the person reviewing the questionnaires must provide you with a letter of recommendation as stated above. In addition, you will need to store the medical questionnaires separate from the employee’s HR file, for 30-years after the employee terminates employment. The questionnaire contains personal health information and is covered under HIPPA. No one other than the licensed healthcare provider should review the employee’s medical questionnaire.
You must have documentation the employee has taken the training within the year. Keep respirator training records on file for each employee.
You must have documentation the employee has been fit tested within the year. Keep respirator fit test records on file for each fit tested employee. There are specific requirements in the regulation about what needs to be in the fit test record. The fit test record must include:
See the DSHS May 14, 2021 “Dear Provider” announcement regarding issues with BYD manufactured prior to 6/9/2020.
If you have BYD respirators, check the boxes for the manufacture dates. Remove any BYD respirators manufactured before 6/9/2020.
Specific BYD lot and serial numbers have been recalled. If you carry BYD respirators, use the link below to find the affected lot and serial numbers. D2322_Field_Action_Customer_Notification.pdf (byd.care)
Respirator User Notices Issued by Manufacturers | NPPTL | NIOSH | CDC
DSHS notice: Recalls of BYD and 3M 8210 respirators (dated September 24, 2021) 021-09-24-1.pdf (wa.gov)
Check each of your BYD boxes to see if you have any of the affected respirators. If you find that you have the recalled BYD respirators, pull them out of your stock. Do not use recalled respirators! Note: You can continue to use unaffected BYD respirators.
See the BYD extension letter (October 30, 2020) regarding extension of BYD expiration date to 5-years after the manufacturing date.
If you have BYD respirators, check the boxes for the manufacturing date, and make sure the expiration dates are 5-years from the manufacturing date.
Recalls of BYD and 3M 8210 respirators (dated September 24, 2021) 021-09-24-1.pdf (wa.gov)
Check each of your 3M 8210 boxes to see if you have any of the affected respirators. If you find that you have the affected respirators, pull them out of your stock. Do not use counterfeit respirators!
Outdoor Research (OR) is no longer manufacturing N95s (starting in 2021). See CDC/NIOSH notice.
If your employees have been fit tested to OR respirators, do the following:
T3M Particulate Respirator, 9502+N95 - Technical Specification Sheet (PDF)
If you have the 3M KN9502+, check to see if the respirators have the following stamped on the front of the respirator: 3M 9502+ N95, NIOSH, TC-84A-8637, and GB2626-2019-KN95.
Be sure to purchase respirators approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Respirator filters must bear the NIOSH stamp and approval number. Purchase respirators from authorized sources.
Please verify with the manufacturer for an authorized online store/distributor.
Below are some authorized distributors:
Market Place (for 3M products)
NOTE: ‘3M 8210' and ‘3M 8210 Plus' are NOT the same size
For Small Qty – Use BYD authorized online store
For Bulk (4,800 or more): Email: bydcare@byd.com
For people with disabilities, Web documents in other formats are available on request. To submit a request, please contact us at civil.rights@doh.wa.gov.
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