What must personnel do prior to entering a work area where respirators will be used?

Before entering a work area where respirators are required, it is essential for personnel to perform positive and negative pressure seal checks on their respirators. This step ensures that the respirator is properly fitted to the individual's face, creating a secure seal that prevents the inhalation of hazardous substances. A proper seal check is critical in maintaining the effectiveness of the respiratory protection, as even small gaps can lead to contaminated air being inhaled.

Conducting a positive and negative pressure seal check verifies that the respirator is functioning as intended and that the individual has a correct fit. This process involves inhaling and exhaling while wearing the respirator to confirm that it is sealed appropriately against the face.

Other options, while they may address aspects of respirator use, do not specifically focus on the critical pre-entry checks needed for effective respiratory protection. For instance, inspecting and replacing filters is important, but it is part of the overall maintenance rather than an immediate pre-entry step. Standard cloth masks do not provide adequate protection in environments hazardous to health, and ensuring no hazardous materials are present, while important for safety, does not address the need for proper respiratory fit when such materials are present. Thus, performing the seal checks stands out as a crucial and immediate requirement before entering the