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.
BLS team invites you to the 4th edition ofSAFETY EXPO 2019The free reference event in Italy for fire prevention and health and safety in the workplace.September 18th and 19th, at Bergamo FieraSTAND 39
Sai indossare correttamente un DPI? Indossare un DPI nel modo corretto è fondamentale per trarne massima efficacia e migliori performance di prodotto. Lo scopo della protezione respiratoria individuale è proteggere chi la indossa da sostanze tossiche o patogene diffuse per via aerea. Il suo utilizzo, quindi, dovrebbe essere preceduto da una formazione appropriata sulle […]
BLS team invites you toA+A 2019An event that brings together 1,942 exhibitors from 63 countries and over 67,000 trade visitors from all over the world and represents the leading global trade fair for occupational safety and health.New products, solutions and ideas, so that tomorrow people can work in a safer, healthier and more efficient way.Read moreNovember 5th - 8th, Düsseldorf Exhibition Center hall 9 stand B40We are waiting for you!
