Respiratory protection OSHA checklist — from fit test to the dust you can see
Respiratory protection under OSHA is a program, not a mask: evaluate the exposure, control it with ventilation first, and where respirators are still needed, pair the right respirator and cartridge with a medical evaluation, an annual fit test, and training. The program half is paperwork — but the failure half is often visible: a worker sanding in a dust cloud wearing a sagging paper mask while a fitted respirator hangs on the wall. OSHA Scan reads a photo of dusty or fume-producing work and flags those visible gaps, referencing the OSHA standard each may relate to. It is an AI-assisted first pass on what the photo shows — it cannot measure air concentrations or verify fit testing.
- Exposure evaluated before equipment
- Engineering controls tried first
- Written program with an administrator
- Right respirator for the contaminant
What does OSHA's respiratory protection standard require?
29 CFR 1910.134 requires a written program run by a trained administrator wherever respirators are needed: exposure assessment, respirator selection matched to the hazard, medical evaluation before first use, fit testing at least annually for tight-fitting respirators, training, and cleaning, storage, and inspection procedures. It is perennially one of OSHA's most-cited standards — and the most common citations are missing fit tests and missing medical evaluations, both invisible in a photo.
Is a dust mask the same as a respirator?
No. A NIOSH-approved filtering facepiece like an N95 is a real respirator; a nuisance dust mask is not, and neither works if it sags loose around the nose. When a genuine exposure requires protection, the respirator must be NIOSH-approved, matched to the contaminant, fit tested to the wearer, and worn sealed for the whole exposure — a loose paper mask on silica or fine sanding dust fails every one of those tests.
Can AI check respiratory protection from a photo?
It flags what's visible: dust clouds and mist around workers, loose or missing protection during the exposure, fitted respirators hanging unused, and enclosed work with no ventilation in frame. It cannot measure concentrations, detect invisible vapors, or verify fit testing and medical clearance — those need sampling and records. Use the scan to catch the visible failures between industrial-hygiene reviews.