Respiratory protection is one of the most critical aspects of workplace safety management.
In many operational contexts, exposure to dust, fumes and airborne contaminants is part of daily activity. These exposures are often not immediately noticeable, yet over time they can have a significant impact on workers’ health.
This is precisely where prevention plays a key role: reducing exposure, ensuring effective protection, and building safe working conditions over the long term.
In the field of respiratory protection, one of the most common mistakes is considering personal protective equipment as a sufficient element.
In reality, simply providing PPE does not automatically guarantee protection.
Its effectiveness depends on a series of factors that must be managed consistently:
· proper risk assessment
· selection of the appropriate device
· training and instruction of operators
· correct use during work activities
· maintaining effectiveness over time
When even one of these elements is missing, protection is reduced.
The update of the Italian standard UNI 11719:2025 was introduced precisely to address this issue.
Compared to the previous edition, it defines more clearly and in greater detail how to develop and maintain an effective respiratory protection program within a company, introducing specific guidelines on the delivery of training and instruction for the use of respiratory PPE for all involved personnel.
It does not simply indicate which devices to use, but establishes a method that includes:
· respiratory risk assessment
· verification for proper PPE selection
· training and instruction of operators
The objective is clear: to reduce exposure to contaminants and improve health protection in the workplace.
Adopting a structured approach means going beyond simple regulatory compliance.
It means moving from a checklist-based approach to a more conscious management of safety.
In this context, PPE is no longer seen as a standalone solution, but as part of a broader system involving processes, people and organization.
The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an opportunity to bring attention back to this point: protection is not an automatic result, but the outcome of informed decisions and proper management over time.
Protecting the respiratory system means protecting workers’ health, both today and in the long term.
It is in this perspective that tools such as UNI 11719:2025 become essential for building safer working environments.
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