Safety Knights

They have to be provided with a copy of 1910.134 Appendix B. Doesn't technically require anything to be signed, but I would recommend that to prove that they actually got a copy of it.

They do not have to go through training, but I would recommend it.

For PAPRs, you must provide and pay for required medical evaluations for voluntary users and provide voluntary users with appropriate facilities and time to clean, disinfect, maintain, and store respirators.

Be sure to check manufacturer recommendations and guidelines, as some specifically require medical evaluations beyond what OSHA requires (e.g., chest x-rays, PFTs, etc.).

Drew covered it, but most companies miss that even voluntary use requires a medical evaluation unless it is a filtering facepiece type.

First of all you need to do an analysis for respiratory hazards to which the worker may be exposed. Typically, this involves an industrial hygiene assessment where the particular hazards are determined and exposures are measured. As a CIH I find that this is often ignored. Wearing respirators when not needed can cause additional hazards to the worker. PPE is the last control method to be used and some regulations require that engineering controls be implement (if practical) before using PPE. If the hazard is particulates not otherwise regulated (PNOR) (aka nuisance dust) and the exposure is below the total (15 mg/M3) and respirable (5 mg/M3) PELs, then a filtering facepiece respirator (N-95, N-100, etc.) may be used on a voluntary basis with a Appendix D being provided and no written Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) needed. Any other use of a respirator would require a full or partial written RPP. Also, since viruses, bacteria, mold spores, etc. have no regulations they would be considered PNOR by a strict interpretation of the regulations.