What protective equipment should personnel begin operations with to protect against suspected dust, mist, fumes, and vapors?

• A. Filtration respirator
• B. Full-face respirator
• C. Safety goggles
• D. No protection

Answer: (A)

The key idea is providing inhalation protection against airborne hazards when you don’t know exactly what you’ll encounter. Dust and mist are particulates, so a filtration respirator is the practical starting protection: it filters out solid particles and some aerosols from the air you breathe, giving you immediate, portable protection while you assess the job and any potential gas or vapor hazards. If later you determine there are fumes or vapors present, you would upgrade to a respirator with appropriate gas/vapor cartridges or a full-face respirator to handle those contaminants. Safety goggles protect only the eyes, not the inhaled air, and doing nothing is never acceptable when airborne contaminants may be present.