RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
SELECT THE MOST SUITABLE RESPIRATORY PROTECTION FOR YOUR NEEDS
The wearing of respiratory equipment is required when engineering control measures are impossible to implement or when they do not offer adequate protection for the health of employees.
There are two main types of respiratory equipment to protect individual users:
- Filtering respirators
- Self-contained breathing apparatus
Filtering respirators purify ambient air through a filter:
- Single-use masks
- Reusable half mask or full-face masks with filters or canisters
- Escape masks or hood with integral filters
- Power assisted breathing apparatus combined with masks or hoods/visors
- Fresh air breathing apparatus
- Equipment for compressed air supply with face piece, filtration unit and sometimes a filter
Isolating devices are fed with air and oxygen from an external uncontaminated source. Before selecting suitable respiratory equipment, always assess your risk of exposure:
Risk of oxygen deficiency
- Nature, form and effects of contaminants
- Knowledge of the levels of contamination present in the workplace and the Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) set for those contaminants
- Take into account other associated hazards (Explosive Atmosphere Risk)
- Duration of use of the respirator