The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is the most common way to reduce worker exposure to harmful agents in the work environment. One of the forms of PPE reluctantly used by workers is respiratory protection. Their task is to protect the worker from inhaling aerosol suspended in the air. The aim of the study was to find out the employees’ attitudes on the obligation to use respiratory protection during work, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the aim of the study, a proprietary survey was created using a Google Form questionnaire. The questionnaire contained 25 questions, including a filter question which excluded people other than the target group. The results were statistically analysed using Statistica v.12.0. The main protection used by workers during work is a respirator. Not all workers before the pandemic were positive about wearing PPE. In the group of those who had no opinion on the use of respiratory protection, 31.71% replace worn or damaged ones with new ones, which was statistically confirmed. Workers pay great attention to the comfort of wearing PPE. In most of the establishments (56%) surveyed, additional training of workers was provided. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a clear change was observed in workers’ attitudes towards PPE and perceptions of safety not only in the work environment. More workers report using respiratory protection during work and replacing it when it is damaged or worn out.
