This is an increasing common question we get asked here at OAKEYS which is a great thing really because this demonstrates to us that there is growing concerns that the respiratory products they are using may not be fully protecting them and their workforce.
Purchasing a high-end respiratory product does not mean you are protected in fact it is a combination of the mask itself whether it is a half mask, full face mask or powered air unit paired with either a P3, A2P3 or ABEK1P3 filter the combination needs to work in terms of your hazard you face and the environment you are working in.
An example would look like this, some powered air respirators have a battery attached around the user’s waist to push the air around the face covering. For this example, let’s say the user has a P3 filtered powered air unit, in the open this will work perfectly in term of respiratory protection but should this product be required in a confined space this would be unsuitable due to the hazard of the tube getting caught on a sharp edge and potentially damaging the product – this could result in a user being in a hazardous environment with no protection at all!
Making sure you are face fit tested for your respiratory mask is essential, a face fit test confirms the level of fit you have with your mask. Face fit testing is only required for tight fitting respirators. More on face fit testing here.
When selecting respiratory protection for your workforce the keys elements to consider are the APF (assigned protection factor) you need from the filter/product and the environment of which the product will be used.
Once you have the decided on the suitable protection you can move on to purchasing the products but please remember that all disposable, half masks & full-face masks need to be face fit tested to ensure the masks fit corrected!
Consider if the PPE you are currently using is fit for purpose!
See our full range of respiratory protection on our store:
https://www.oakeyssafety.co.uk/product-category/respiratory-protection/
