Jenkins Academy of Applied Technology
Respiratory Protection — Voluntary-Use Awareness
Learn the basics for voluntary respirator use. Your employer must first allow this use and check that it creates no hazard. The rules depend on the kind of device. The employer must give you the actual Appendix D information. Other medical and care steps may apply. This course is not for required use or entry into IDLH air.
RP-001-VOL · School of Occupational Safety · General Occupational Safety
Open for enrollment · Free with sign-up · Noncredit. 5 lessons and a 10-question final knowledge assessment.
For: Employees considering employer-permitted voluntary respirator use
The outline and resources are public. Sign in, enable free Academy course access and choose your study pace in My Learning to save your learning progress. Learning and practice are free; the optional assessment/certificate offer is described below.
Respiratory Protection practical lab
Explore NIOSH respirator types and nine particulate filter classes, inspect a fictional N95, assemble a virtual 3M FT-10 sweet or FT-30 bitter kit, and interpret sensitivity, failed/invalid tests and person-specific records.
Open the free Respiratory Protection practical lab →
Jenkins Academy of Applied Technology · BETA test · Browser-local practice. The lab uses a required-user scenario and explains voluntary-use differences. It performs no actual fit test or medical evaluation and awards no fit qualification, workplace authorization, account credit or certificate. Employer and manufacturer instruction remain separate.
What you will study
- Confirm that use is truly voluntary
- Use the Appendix D information
- Check which voluntary-use path applies
- Use and care for the permitted device
- Report changes and keep the records honest
Assessment and completion
Complete the lessons in order and correctly answer every practice check. Practice is unlimited. Pass the final with at least 80% overall and every critical decision correct. Three final attempts are available per set, using alternating assessment forms and targeted lesson review after an unsuccessful attempt. An assessment attempt counts only when the server confirms it.
After passing, submit a 1–5 star rating to finish the course. Every rating is accepted equally; written feedback is optional. Your account retains the online knowledge completion, and you can download a knowledge record. This course does not issue an OSHA Outreach card or a professional or occupational certification.
Employer workplace component
Employer confirms genuinely voluntary use and no hazard created; provides the actual Appendix D information; establishes any relevant written-program, medical-ability, cleaning, storage and maintenance provisions for the permitted device; reviews changed conditions.
The employer determines applicability and provides instruction in language and vocabulary the employee understands. Where the standard requires interaction with a knowledgeable or qualified trainer, arrange appropriate access through the employer. Academy support is asynchronous and has no guaranteed response time. Use the employer’s designated route for urgent safety decisions and required timely trainer access.
Online completion alone does not establish workplace compliance, operator qualification, competent-person status or permission to perform a hazardous task. Keep employer verification and any medical information in the employer’s appropriate records.
Learning resources
- Employer workplace instruction and verification ↗
- Learner respiratory protection reference ↗
- Regulatory crosswalk and sources ↗
- Actual task, selection and required-use readiness ↗
- Medical process — administrative readiness only ↗
- Actual fit-test record — completed by the test provider ↗
- Voluntary-use screening and Appendix D delivery ↗
- Actual inspection, care and change schedule ↗
- Training, retraining and program review record ↗
Version 1.0.0. Federal source review: October 21, 2026. The regulatory crosswalk identifies the course scope and primary sources; state-plan and employer requirements may add obligations.
Assessment and retake policy · Registration and record policy