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Workplace respirator testing
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<p><a href="/facts/Respirator/rYFJThhR">Respirators</a>, also known as respiratory protective equipment (RPE) or respiratory protective devices (RPD), are used in some workplaces to protect workers from air contaminants. Initially, respirator effectiveness was tested in laboratories, but in the late 1960s it was found that these tests gave misleading results regarding the <a href="/facts/Respirator_Assigned_Protection_Factors/aSTG9Dn1">level of protection</a> provided. In the 1970s, workplace-based respirator testing became routine in industrialized countries, leading to a dramatic reduction in the claimed efficacy of many respirator types and new guidelines on how to select the appropriate respirator for a given environment. </p>