Who should wear respiratory protection at an incident?

• A. All personnel that might be exposed to a hazard
• B. Only the team leader
• C. Only those with masks assigned
• D. No one unless directed

Answer: (A)

At an incident, respiratory protection is needed by anyone who could be exposed to an airborne hazard. The reason is simple: hazards may be present in the environment and exposure can occur to more than one person or role, not just a single individual. Before and during operations, perform a hazard assessment and ensure the appropriate respirator is available, properly fit-tested, and used by all personnel who might encounter the contaminant. This protects people who could be exposed, even if they aren’t currently actively engaging with the source or performing a specific task.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: relying on the team leader alone to be protected misses the fact that many people on scene could come into contact with airborne hazards, and exposure can happen in transit, during reconnaissance, or in shared spaces. Limiting protection to those who already have masks assigned ignores the dynamic nature of incidents where roles and locations change. Waiting for a direct directive to protect anyone implies a delay that can allow exposure to occur, whereas a proactive approach aims to prevent it for anyone who might be exposed.