Respiratory Protection

Source: Guide to Hazardous Products Around the Home. Second Edition. 1989. Missouri Household Hazardous Waste Project.

Inhalation VENTILATION: Good ventilation is essential when using hazardous products. If possible, work outside. If you work inside, use a fan to direct air away from the work area to open windows. Be sure that you are not directing the toxic chemical to others who may be working inside. Air conditioners do not provide sufficient ventilation because they recirculate air, even on "vent", and do not remove contaminants from the air. If you can smell a toxic chemical, then your ventilation is not sufficient (although not all harmful chemicals have an odor) and so you probably need a mask or respirator to protect yourself.

RESPIRATORS: There are several different types of masks and respirators to protect you from specific toxic materials. The protection you choose should be approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for the particular contaminant to which you will be exposed. All respirators with NIOSH approval can be identified by their approval number, which consists of the letters "TC" followed by two sets of three digits. When you go to buy safety equipment, tell the salesperson what products you will be using, so you are sure to have sufficient protection.

Guide to Respirators based on products being handled.

Dust mask Particle masks are inexpensive and provide minimal protection from dusts, but are inadequate for use with products that produce vapors, fumes, or mists.

Maintenance-free respirators provide more complete protection. They are air-filtering devices that contain fibers to trap particles or sorbents that trap and hold gases and vapors. Maintenance-free respirators have two straps, in contrast to particle masks, which only have one.

Respirator Reusable gas and vapor respirators also provide better protection than particle masks. These repirators are air purifying devices which are used with cartridges and prefilters to provide protection. Prefilters trap airborne particles in a fibrous filtering material. Cartridges contain activated carbon or other substances that absorb, and in some cases neutralize, the chemicals in vapors, fumes, or mists.

Gas and vapor respirators cost between $8.00 and $35.00 and are worth the investment. They can be purchased at safety equipment stores and some hardware stores.

Correct Fit: A respirator should be comfortable and have a correct fit so that it is leak-proof. Different people have different face sizes and shapes so try on respirators until you find one that fits you. To test the fit, cover the cartridge or filter inlets with the palm or your hand (or put on their seals), inhale gently until the respirator collapses slightly, and hold your breathe for 10 seconds. If the fit is not adequate, the respirator will resume its normal shape because air leaks back in while you are holding your breathe. In addition, test the fit by blocking the exhalation valve and then gently breathing out. This should cause the mask to expand. If air leaks past the edge of the mask (particularly near the eyes), the mask will collapse back to its normal shape and the fit is not correct. If your eyeglasses fog up while trying these tests, then the respirator has a poor fit. If the respirator fails any of these tests, try adjusting the straps and face piece. The salesperson can help you determine the correct fit. Men with facial hair may not be adequately protected by a face respirator because of poor fit.

Replacement: The prefilters and cartridges of reusable respirators have to be replaced regularly. When it is difficult to breathe through a filter, the filter is likely clogged and needs replacing. If you can smell the toxic chemical through the respirator, the purifying chemicals are used up and the cartridge needs to be replaced. Some general rules of thumb are to change cartridges after two weeks, after 8 consecutive hours of use, or if the contaminant can be smelled. If you rely on odor as a cue to replace the cartridge, be sure that the toxic material is odor-producing. Chemicals that do not produce an odor warning include methyl alcohol and carbon monoxide. Follow the directions given with each respirator.

A way to avoid replacing cartridges and filters is to replace the whole respirator. There are disposable respirators on the market with specific filters and cartridges in place. The disposable respirators cost between $8.00 and $20.00 and have to be replaced as often as cartridges on respirators. Replacement cartridges by themselves typically cost between $4.00 and $6.50.


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