Face-mounted cartridges for mercury and chlorine respirators

March 1, 1989

Mr. Jay A. Parker
Glendale Protective Technologies, Inc.
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Parker:

This is in response to your letter of November 4, 1988 concerning respiratory protection for mercury and chlorine.

Your letter indicated that a Glendale chemical cartridge (C-27) has received an approval from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for protection against mercury and chlorine (TC-23C-9l6). This approval stipulates that the cartridges must be used at a belt-mounted position for continuous monitoring of the end-of-service-life indicator.

You requested that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) accept the use of the Glendale cartridge at a face-mounted position since the Agency has permitted such application for a cartridge made by another respirator manufacturer.

Upon reviewing the NIOSH test data which you submitted, we found that there is adequate service life remaining in the cartridge for the work shift after the indicator changes color. The Glendale respirator equipped with the cartridges for protection against mercury vapor and chlorine gas (TC 23C-9l6) would be acceptable for use at the face-mounted position provided that the following conditions are met in addition to the limitations which appear on the approval label:

1. The maximum use limit is up to 10 times the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for mercury and chlorine.

2. A quantitative or qualitative fit test is performed on the Glendale half-mask (F-950).

3. Monitoring of the condition of the end-of-the-service-life indicator be performed at periods of no more than 30 minutes.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Edward J. Baier
Director
Directorate of Technical Support

[Requester letter reproduced on OSHA page; omitted here.]