Respiratory Protection Week Focuses on Education Efforts

Throughout this week companies were shining a spotlight on the issues of respiratory protection by participating in Respiratory Protection Week, created by NIOSH. The organization asked companies across the country to host training sessions and provide other forms of education to highlight the importance of this hazard.

Millions of workers in occupations such as construction, mining, emergency response and others rely on respiratory protection to keep them safe on the job. 

Respiratory protection is one of the most cited safety and health violations annually. In 2023, it was the seventh most frequently cited standard, the third most in 2022.

A particular emphasis this year is on the research done in the area. John Howard, director of NIOSH, introduced a new blog series on Tips for Managing Personal Protective Equipment in Your Stockpile. The series will begin with an overview of NIOSH research in this area over the last several years, providing a foundation for the tips that will be discussed. Additionally, the series will discuss the impact that this work had during the COVID-19 pandemic.