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Inspection template in the LeanSuite app

Last reviewed

Respirator inspection checklist

A respirator inspection checklist covers a reusable respirator and its parts: a clean face piece with no cracks, tears or warping, elastic straps, valves that open and close, the right filter or cartridge type for the hazard, cartridges in date and filters not clogged, then a current fit test for the user, cleaning after use and storage in a clean sealed bag. This template has 9 questions, one record per respirator or user.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134(h)(3) asks for respirators used routinely to be inspected before each use and during cleaning, and for those kept for emergencies to be inspected at least monthly. So use this monthly record for emergency-use respirators and as the supervisor's check on everyday ones. Fit testing is yearly under paragraph (f)(2). A failure on the floor: a half mask hung on a nail in the paint shop, cartridges never changed, an exhalation valve stiff with overspray, or a user who has grown a beard since the fit test.

What it is for, as built: Inspect reusable respirators and their parts.

Use this template in LeanSuite

The full question list

The 9 questions in the inspection

Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A. Each No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, so the finding arrives with its evidence.

Face piece

  1. 1The face piece is clean with no cracks, tears or warping
  2. 2Straps are elastic and not damaged
  3. 3The valves open and close correctly

Filters and cartridges

  1. 4The filter or cartridge type suits the hazard
  2. 5Cartridges are within their expiry date
  3. 6Filters are not clogged or damaged

Fit and storage

  1. 7A fit test is current for the user
  2. 8The respirator is cleaned after use
  3. 9It is stored in a clean sealed bag away from contamination

Worked example, illustrative

A filled-in example

One section as it might be filled in on the floor, with every other section of the inspection answered Yes. The place and finding are made up to show how the inspection reads and scores.

Result: fail, 77.8% against a pass mark of 90

  • 9 questions, all of them count.
  • 2 answered No, so 7 of 9 are Yes: 7 ÷ 9 = 77.8%.
  • 77.8% is under 90, so the inspection fails.

What happened next: EHS lead replaced cartridges and pre-filters that day and added the mask to the monthly change-out list.

Scored here as one point per question with N/A left out. In the app each answer carries the points set on the template, so change them after you clone it if your plant weighs some checks more.

Respirator Inspection

Inspection, monthly

Respirator ID or user
Half mask RM-21, paint shop

Filters and cartridges

  1. The filter or cartridge type suits the hazardYes
  2. Cartridges are within their expiry dateNo
  3. Filters are not clogged or damagedNo

    Comment: Both cartridges are marked with a date from last year and the pre-filters are brown with overspray and feel stiff when pressed.

    Photo attached to each No

Drawn from this template's own questions, not a screenshot of the app. Illustrative answers.

When to use it

  • Once a month.
  • The person responsible for the area or equipment answers each question on the spot.
  • Each record starts with: Respirator ID or user.

How it is scored

The template is built with points per answer and a pass mark of 90. In this library every audit is set to pass at 80 and every inspection at 90. Each submitted inspection shows its score and pass or fail, and every No is flagged with its photo and comment.

Change the points or the pass mark after you clone it. How rules and scoring work.

Read and print

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All safety inspections and audits templates

FAQ

Respirator inspection checklist: common questions

  1. Monthly for respirators kept for emergency use, and as the supervisor's record on everyday ones, which OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134(h)(3) asks to be inspected before each use and during cleaning. Add a check when a user changes job or hazard, when a new cartridge type is introduced, after a spill response, or when a user's face has changed since the fit test.

  2. The user checks their own respirator before each use. This monthly record is done by the area supervisor or the EHS lead, who needs to know which cartridge matches each hazard in the area, the change-out schedule and who holds a current fit test. When a respirator fails, the EHS lead pulls it from use and sorts out a replacement or a new fit test.

  3. A fail means the respirator may not protect the person wearing it: a cracked face piece, a stiff exhalation valve, expired cartridges or a user without a current fit test. Take it out of service now, bag and label it, and issue a replacement before the user goes back to the task. No fit test, no respirator work. In this template every No is flagged and asks for a photo and a comment, and an inspection that scores under its pass mark of 90 is a fail.

  4. Keep the respirator ID or user, the date, each part that failed, the cartridge type and its change date, and the fit test date. Keep what replaced a failed part and when. Over months the record shows which users wear out straps or valves fast and which never change cartridges, which is a training conversation rather than a parts order. In LeanSuite each submitted inspection is stored with its score, its pass or fail, and the photo and comment on every No.

  5. 9 questions in 3 sections: face piece, filters and cartridges, and fit and storage. Every question is answered Yes, No or N/A.

Use this template in LeanSuite

It is ready in the Template Marketplace inside Lean Creator as “Respirator Inspection”. Clone it into your plant, change any question, then schedule it to a person, role or asset with reminders. Auditors complete it on a phone or tablet, with photo evidence where required.

Not on LeanSuite yet? On a 90-day pilot our team sets up your account and digitizes the forms and checklists you use today, this one included.

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