Employers have a legal responsibility to protect workers from respiratory hazards in the workplace. If you've been advised to put a respiratory protection plan in place that complies with EN standards, this is likely in relation to your duties under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).

While it's not possible to cover all the details in this short article — as the COSHH guidance is extensive — we can outline the most important steps you need to take:

• You must carry out a comprehensive risk assessment that identifies and evaluates potential airborne hazards in your workplace.
• This assessment should be documented in a written report.
• In many cases, specialist knowledge and equipment are required — for example, to measure airborne contaminants. If you don’t have the capability in-house, you should consider hiring a qualified Health and Safety Consultant to carry out the assessment on your behalf.
• Once risks are identified, you're legally obliged to implement appropriate control measures to either remove or reduce the risk.
• These control measures must be maintained and regularly checked to ensure they remain effective.
• Employers are also required to monitor employee health where exposure to hazardous substances cannot be avoided.

Following this process is key to complying with both EN standards for respiratory protection and COSHH regulations in the UK.

Key points:

• A respiratory protection plan is required to meet COSHH and EN standards.
• Employers must carry out a written risk assessment of airborne hazards.
• Specialist consultants may be needed to measure contaminants in the air.
• Control measures must be implemented and maintained.
• Ongoing monitoring of staff health is also required.

If you need further support, please contact our Technical Support Team using the email: technical@jspsafety.com or contact us via our WhatsApp.