1910.134(d)(1): Choosing the Right Respirator
Employers must choose and provide a respirator that fits the breathing hazard and the workplace and user factors that affect how it performs. It must be NIOSH-certified and used according to its certification. Employers must evaluate the hazard, including a reasonable exposure estimate, treat the air as immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) if exposure cannot be estimated, and offer enough models and sizes for a good fit.
Key takeaways
- 1910.134(d)(1) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart I).
- OSHA cited it 477 times in the last 3 years, in 452 inspections, with $1,057,346 in current penalties.
- 7 deaths are linked to inspections that cited this rule.
- Most citations: VA (49), OH (32), MA (30).
- Related part: 1910.134(d) Selection of respirators (573 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.134(d)(1) ("General requirements") is one requirement inside 1910.134 Respiratory protection, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart I). It includes 4 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(1) General requirements. 477 citations
(i) The employer shall select and provide an appropriate respirator based on the respiratory hazard(s) to which the worker is exposed and workplace and user factors that affect respirator performance and reliability. Open (d)(1)(i) 88 citations
(ii) The employer shall select a NIOSH-certified respirator. The respirator shall be used in compliance with the conditions of its certification. Open (d)(1)(ii) 74 citations
(iii) The employer shall identify and evaluate the respiratory hazard(s) in the workplace; this evaluation shall include a reasonable estimate of employee exposures to respiratory hazard(s) and an identification of the contaminant's chemical state and physical form. Where the employer cannot identify or reasonably estimate the employee exposure, the employer shall consider the atmosphere to be IDLH. Open (d)(1)(iii) 312 citations
(iv) The employer shall select respirators from a sufficient number of respirator models and sizes so that the respirator is acceptable to, and correctly fits, the user. 2 citations
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.134.
Injuries linked to this rule
7 deaths are linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.134(d)(1).
At 8:00 a.m. on January 24, 2025, Employee #1 was working as an assembler for an industrial furnace and oven manufacturer was working inside a powder coating booth. The facility powder coats metal parts with a variety of products, that includes Sky White powder coating.…
Full case list with employer, penalty, filters and download is part of OSHA Data (Purple Belt).
Unlock with Purple BeltWhere and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 176 |
| 2025 | 151 |
| 2026 | 133 |
Top states: VA (49), OH (32), MA (30), TX (29), OR (29)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| TRIMAC TRANSPORTATION INC. | BEAUMONT, TX | $119,246 |
| MINERS' COLFAX MEDICAL CENTER | RATON, NM | $16,554 |
| TACTICAL CLEANING ACQUISITION, LLC | HARWOOD, TX | $16,550 |
| VTCU, CORP. | POCATELLO, ID | $16,550 |
| JOBE MATERIALS, L.P. | EL PASO, TX | $16,550 |
Free toolbox talk
A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.134(d)(1), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
- Clarifications for breathing air quality and use (2023-05-31)
- Respiratory protection against COVID-19 for employees with religiously mandated facial hair (2021-12-16)
- Enforcement Guidance on Decontamination of Filtering Facepiece Respirators in Healthcare During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic (2020-04-24)
- Enforcement Guidance for Respiratory Protection and the N95 Shortage Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic (2020-04-03)
- Temporary Enforcement Guidance - Healthcare Respiratory Protection Annual Fit-Testing for N95 Filtering Facepieces During the COVID-19 Outbreak (2020-03-14)
- OSHA requirements for respirator fit testing with and without facepiece accessories (2017-01-17)
- Whether the Respiratory Protection standard requires personal air monitoring to identify and evaluate the respiratory hazards in the workplace. (2012-05-14)
- OSHA's decision not to provide a religious exemption from the respirator standard. (2011-08-05)
- Beards may not interfere with face seal;alternative respirators for bearded employees. (2003-03-07)
- Selection of air purifying respirators for gases and vapors with poor warning properties (diisocyanates) (2000-07-18)
- Respirators for voluntary use and cleaning respirators during fit testing. (1999-10-01)
- Using combinations of respiratory protection not approved by NIOSH. (1999-01-29)
- NIOSH approved respirator during the period of an employee's escape from a chemical release of phosgene. (1997-07-01)
- SCBA cylinder interchangeability. (1997-06-20)
- Use of non-approved respirators and improper use of approved respirators (1991-01-24)
- NIOSH eliminates maximum use concentrations (MUC) labeling requirement for Chemical Cartridges. (1990-06-04)
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.134(d) Selection of respirators 573 citations
- 1910.134(d)(1)(iii) 312 citations
- 1910.134(d)(1)(i) 88 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3) Respirators for atmospheres that are not IDLH 86 citations
- 1910.134(d)(1)(ii) 74 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(iii) 53 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(iii)(B) 52 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(i) 28 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(i)(B) Maximum Use Concentration (MUC) 16 citations
- 1910.134(d)(2) Respirators for IDLH atmospheres 10 citations
- 1910.134(d)(2)(i) 9 citations
- 1910.134(d)(3)(i)(A) Assigned Protection Factors (APFs) 3 citations
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Frequently asked questions
Does the respirator have to be NIOSH-certified?
Yes. The employer must select a NIOSH-certified respirator and use it within the conditions of its certification.
What if exposure levels are unknown?
If the employer cannot identify or reasonably estimate exposure, the atmosphere must be treated as IDLH.
Why offer different models and sizes?
So the respirator is acceptable to and correctly fits each user.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.134 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-10-20
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.