Currently Browsing: Respiratory
Aug 31, 2010
Posted on Aug 31, 2010 in Respiratory | 2 comments
Work environments where employees are exposed to air where there may be dust, bacteria or chemicals should always wear a respirator. Prolonged exposure to noxious gas,chemicals or dusty air can cause damage to your lungs. Jobs where disposable respirator’s are needed include construction sites, hospital and healthcare facilities, and industrial painting and manufacturing. While disposable respirators cannot filter out everything, a properly working and rated one can keep many harmful airborne pollutants out of your lungs. However, in order to be effective, they should be replaced often.
Disposable respirators are like dust masks but with added features that keep out not only solid particulate but also harmful gasses and fumes. In order to work correctly, the filtering material of the disposable respirator needs to be fairly clean. Once too much particulate or gas clogs the material, it will no longer filter properly and may allow harmful gasses to pass through to the employee, who will breathe them in. Some chemicals do not have a strong smell, but may still be very harmful and dangerous. Thus, employees must ensure that they replace their disposable respirator’s as often as is necessary to properly protect themselves.
Another important consideration in regards to the proper use of disposable respirator’s is to ensure that they form a cohesive seal on the the face of the wearer. Employees should be clean shaven, because hair can cause the seal to be broken, and allow harmful fumes to be breathed in by the wearer. You should be able to create a tight seal by testing it. Simply breathe in while holding the outside of the respirator with your hands. As you breathe in, the respirator should collapse slightly. If air leaks in between the face and the faceseal of the respirator, adjust it or replace it with a size that fits. The respirator will not protect you if it does not fit properly.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or the NIOSH, is the governmental body who provides regulations regarding which respirators are required for each job. Additional requirements by be made by each particular job, so employees should become familiar with both the NIOSH standards and their company standards in regards to wearing and disposing of their respirators. In general, disposable respirators are meant to be used once. They should be replaced often, especially when employees are working in an area with dangerous fumes. In addition, disposable respirators should never be shared amongst employees.
Protecting your lungs is incredibly important. Lung damage can be painful and debilitating, and should be avoided at all cost. Switch out your disposable respirator often to ensure that it will always be working properly. Never switch out a respirator in your work area. Instead, move to a fume free area where a respirator is not needed, remove the old one and put on the new one before returning to work. Be sure and properly test it to make sure it fits snugly. With proper use and care, a disposable respirator will keep your lungs healthy and safe.
Aug 19, 2010
Posted on Aug 19, 2010 in Respiratory | 0 comments
Written on Tuesday, December 8, 2009
According to OSHA, all respirators that rely on a mask-to-face seal need to be annually checked with either qualitative or quantitative methods to determine whether the mask provides an acceptable fit to a wearer.
A proper fit is necessary for your respirator to provide the maximum amount of protection that it is designed to provide. Generally speaking, there are a few steps that can be taken to ensure that your respirator is properly fitted.
When getting ready to put on your respirator, hold it in the palm of your hand with the nose contour at your fingertips and let the head straps hang loosely on the outsides of your palm.
Place the respirator on your face, with the nose contour up around your nose. Pull the shorter strap around your head so it is below the ears and around the neck. Place the longer strap around the crown area of the back of your head. Both straps must be used for proper fitting.
Adjust the straps so that the respirator fits snugly but comfortably around your face.
Check the seal by cupping your hands over the respirator and inhaling sharply. A negative pressure should be felt inside respirator. If any leakage is detected at respirator edges, adjust the straps and/or reposition the respirator on your face. The seal should be checked each time you wear the respirator.
Written by: Carissa Kelley
Aug 19, 2010
Posted on Aug 19, 2010 in Respiratory | 0 comments
Written on Monday, May 11, 2009
The FlexAir PAPR one of the newest product lines by SafetyTech International (STI). SafetyTech is a leading manufacturer and supplier of Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) products, gas masks, and other respiratory protection products.The FlexAir PAPR System is a compact, lightweight Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) System with a Lifetime Lithium Battery inside the waist mounted blower. Like other PAPR systems, users are protected by having contaminated air purified by filter media mounted on the PAPR blower unit and delivered via a lightweight breathing hose to the users head cover.
FlexAir is extremely versatile, offering a design that can accommodate a 2-filter or 3-cartridge configuration. For biological and particulate protection, 2 HE (High Efficiency) particulate filters are used with the FlexAir. And for protection against organic vapors and acid gases (OV/AG/HE), the FlexAir can be converted to a 3-cartridge system.
In addition, the FlexAir PAPR System has completed NIOSH approval to 42 CFR Part 84. But perhaps the best feature of the FlexAir is the wallet-friendly price.
Written by: Carissa Kelley
Aug 19, 2010
Posted on Aug 19, 2010 in Respiratory | 0 comments
Written on Thursday, March 26, 2009
Complete respiratory protection is crucial in any environment where there are hazardous airborne chemicals or particles present. Protection can be achieved by wearing an appropriate face mask and filter system. There are many things to consider when choosing your respiratory protection system. Most importantly, should you use a traditional face mask respirator, or opt for the PAPR?
A Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) is a motorized system that uses a filter to clean ambient air before it is delivered to the breathing zone of the user. A PAPR system typically includes a blower, battery, headpiece and a breathing tube.
Unlike traditional face masks where the user must exert effort to breathe through a filter, a PAPR has a battery powered air pump that drives air through a filter system, and delivers it straight into the face mask to the user. Also, the air delivered by a PAPR into the headpiece is actually cool, not hot or sticky. This is the major benefit of using a PAPR over a regular face mask respirator: because the user does not have to work to breathe in air through the filter in a PAPR, fatigue will not set in nearly as quickly as it would when wearing a traditional mask.
Another benefit of the PAPR is fit testing (or lack there of). When wearing one of the loose-fitting hoods on a PAPR, no fit testing is required. And, workers do not have to shave facial hair in order to use the PAPR. This is not possible when using traditional face masks for respiratory protection.
Finally, a PAPR is actually lighter then other face masks because the heavy components – such as the battery pack, blower, and filters – are mounted and worn on a belt. The mask of a PAPR is much lighter than regular models, making them comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
Written By: Carissa Kelley
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