New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules
He - Department of Health and Human Services
Subtitle He-P - Former Division of Public Health Services
Chapter He-P 4000 - NEW HAMPSHIRE RULES FOR THE CONTROL OF RADIATION
Part He-P 4095 - ASSIGNED PROTECTION FACTORS FOR RESPIRATORS
Section He-P 4095.02 - Additional Requirements for Protection Factors for Respirators

(a) The assigned protection factors specified in Table 4095.1 shall apply:

(b) Selection and use of respirators for circumstances described in He-P 4095.02(a) (2) shall also comply with United States Department of Labor regulations.

(c) For radioactive contaminants for which the concentration values in Table 1, column 3 of He-P 4090 are based on internal dose due to inhalation and may, in addition, present external exposure hazards at higher concentrations, the licensee shall consider whether limitations on occupancy be governed by external dose limits.

(d) Air purifying respirators with APF <100 shall be equipped with particulate filters that are at least 95 percent efficient.

(e) Air purifying respirators with APF = 100 shall be equipped with particulate filters that are at least 99 percent efficient.

(f) Air purifying respirators with APF >100 shall be equipped with particulate filters that are at least 99.97 percent efficient.

(g) In addition to the use of air purifying respirators for protection against radioactive particulates, the licensee may apply to the DHHS/RHS for the use of an APF greater than one for sorbent cartridges in an air purifying respirator as protection against airborne radioactive gases and vapors, for example, radioiodine.

(h) Items in Table 4095.1 marked with superscript u shall be an appropriate protection factor which shall be determined for use by individuals who may or may have not been medically screened or fit tested on the device provided that:

(i) Notwithstanding the requirement of (h) above, insofar as an assigned protection factor has not been assigned for filtering faceplate disposable air purifying respirators, an APF equal to 10 may be used only if the licensee can demonstrate a fit factor of at least 100 by use of a validated or evaluated, qualitative or quantitative fit test.

(j) The items in Table 4095.1 marked with the superscript v shall be for under-chin type only, with no distinction made in this part between elastomeric half-masks with replaceable cartridges and those designed with the filter medium as an integral part of the facepiece (e.g., disposable or reusable disposable) . Both types shall be acceptable so long as:

(k) Items in Table 4095.1 marked with superscript w shall indicate that the assigned protection factors for gases and vapors shall not be applicable to radioactive contaminants that present an absorption or submersion hazard.

(l) A protection factor of 3 shall be assigned when atmosphere-supplying respirators are used to protect against tritium oxide.

(m) Protective actions for radioactive noble gases shall be based on external (submersion) dose considerations.

(n) Items in Table 4095.1 marked with superscript x shall be an appropriate protection factor which may be used in an acceptable respiratory protection program, only if all the other minimum respiratory program requirements contained in He-P 4022 and He-P 4095, with the exception of fit testing, are met.

(o) For use of the items in Table 4095.1 marked with superscript y, the licensee shall be implement institutional controls to assure that these devices are not used in areas immediately dangerous to life or health.

(p) Items in Table 4095.1 marked with superscript z shall be the type of respirator which may be used as an emergency device in unknown concentrations for protection against inhalation hazards. External radiation hazards and other limitations to permitted exposure, such as skin absorption, shall be taken into account in such circumstances.

(q) The device specified in (p) above shall not be used by any individual who experiences perceptible outward leakage of breathing gas while wearing the device.