Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is being discussed a lot at the moment, and there are several types that will protect the user against health and safety risks at work. This includes head protection, safety eyewear, safety clothing, and hearing protection. Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), is another type of protection available. There is often a lot of confusion about standards, different filters and the level of protection respirators offer. We wanted to put together a clear guide to respirator classes, and explain how you can use a respirator safely.
RPE is designed to protect against harmful substances in the environment, particularly airborne particles. If they are inhaled, these hazardous particles can cause the body damage, ranging from minor irritations to corrosion of the throat or lungs. That is why you need a respirator in order to protect your lungs from these irritants.
As we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important that employers provide staff with the correct PPE to allow them to carry out their job safely. This no longer just applies to those working within construction, factories, etc. but also those providing a service to the general public. Our respiratory protection: what employers should know guide is great if you require further clarity on this topic.
One key thing to be aware of is that disposable respirators offer no protection from vapours or gases. They solely protect the user from respirable dust, smoke and aerosols. As you are probably aware, a disposable respirator covers the mouth and nose, and is made with various filter materials which we will look into later.
Occupational Exposure Limit Value (OEL) is another abbreviation that you will come across when looking at a respirator. This is the maximum concentration of dust, smoke or aerosols in the surrounding breathing air which is considered to still be safe.
Assigned Protection Factor (APF): is a term used to determine how well a respirator/filter combination will protect an individual from external contaminants. It is an estimation of the level of protection a respirator provides. For example, an APF of 10 means that no more than one-tenth of the contaminants to which the worker is exposed will leak into the inside of the mask.
As you will have seen in our FFP mask classes explained blog we briefly mentioned each class and the level of protection they provided. We will take a deeper look into this now.
Disposable respirators are split into three protection classes: FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3, depending on the total inward leakage and filtering of particle sizes. FFP1 is the ‘least’ protective whereas FFP3 is the ‘most’ protective. A filtering respirator offers protection against aqueous oily aerosols, smoke and other fine particles. The EU standard that you should look out for when choosing a respirator is EN 149.
FFP1 masks are generally designed for working environments where there is no trace of poisonous or fibrogenic dust/aerosols. This type of respirator protects against atoxic and non-fibrogenic types of dust, with a total leakage amount to a maximum of 25%. FFP1 masks filter at least 80% of particles and can be worn as long as the OEL measures no more than the fourfold value. This class of masks are generally used in the building or food industry.
FFP2 masks are designed for working environments where deleterious and mutagenic particles are likely to be within the breathing air. The particles may well be fibrogenic and can irritate the respiratory system. Long term damage such as reduced elasticity of pulmonary tissue could occur if the right level of RPE is not worn.
A disposable respirator of this class must filter at least 94% of the particles, and can be used in environments transgressing the OEL up to a level of maximum tenfold concentration. FFP2 masks are generally used in the metal and mining industries.
FFP3 masks offer maximum protection from breathing in air pollution, and they are required to filter 99% of particles in the surrounding air. They provide protection against poisonous and deleterious dust, smoke and aerosols. FFP3 respirator masks are required for those working with oncogenic or radioactive substances including viruses, bacteria and fungal spores. They are suitable for environments transgressing the OEL by twentyfold the industry-specific values.
Due to disposable respirators being in very high demand recently, surgical masks are also flooding the PPE market, but what level of protection do they actually offer? A surgical mask protects against infectious agents transmitted by droplets - saliva or secretions from the respiratory tract that are exhaled.
If you are in the medical profession, wearing a respirator mask protects your patient. If you are infected with Coronavirus, wearing a surgical mask helps prevent you from contaminating your surroundings. Whilst a surgical mask can protect the wearer from splashes of biological fluids, it does not completely protect against ‘airborne’ infectious agents including Coronavirus.
China is now allowing free movement, but everyone is required by law to wear a surgical mask or respirator. If you have been following the news recently, the UK have been advised to wear PPE where possible too. Whilst they won’t completely prevent you from catching Coronavirus, they will help to reduce the spread of infection and help to bring the ‘R value’ down.
There are many different types of respiratory protective equipment on the market at the moment, and it can be hard to know which will actually provide the right level of protection. Lots of cheap masks are being made which don’t meet the lowest filtration standard, so if you are unsure please call our team and we can give you our expert advice on the correct respirator for your needs.
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