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As a guy who has lost a fair amount of brain cells to paint and varnish vapors I know better than most that many projects aren't properly ventilated. (Yes I called them paint and varnish fumes in the title because that's what folks search for. Fumes are heated solid particles - think burning metal. Vapors are gaseous. I haven't lost all my brain cells.) That being said, there are some jobs that even I know have to have a fresh air source. Respirators are great, but in an environment wit …

Ebola was exciting wasn't it? I'm not talking about the terrible disease that some African countries are still struggling with. I'm talking about those amazing news reports getting everybody all whipped up. While we talked about basic precautions against the more likely scenarios, we are not the largest news agency in the world (shocking, I know). Now we are overstocked on some of our best respirators, and if you haven't added them to your Walking Dead safety kit, or you just need great lu …

Respirator filters are rated according to how much particulate matter they can reliably block. A P100 rating is the highest for personal respiratory protection. As long as your mask fits properly a P100 filter will block 99.9% of particles .3 microns or larger. (If you're interested in the nitty-gritty the CDC has a comprehensive and fairly unreadable guide to particulate respirators.) In defense of the CDC, there are a huge range of hazards, and not everyone can wax poetic about lun …

Yes, people do actually clean their respirators. And it's a good idea for you to do it too. Not only can some bad microbial monsters take up residence in an unclean respirator, but clogged air intake and exhalation valves may cause your respirator to stop functioning as it should. There are a range of respirators available, some full-face, some half-face, but they all share common characteristics. Remember, we're not talking about disposable respirators (aka dust masks) - those th …

Protection from the Ebola virus continues to dominate the news. More agencies and individuals are discussing full-face and half-face respirators as solutions for care givers. But without proper fit testing, these masks may not be as effective as a towel held over your nose. Fit testing for respirators requires some specialized equipment as well as an understanding of how respirators protect the lungs. The equipment consists of a hood that goes over the person wearing the respirator, …

Hooray hooray it’s respirator day! There are so many to thank, air borne pathogens, asbestos and lead, don’t forget those sneaky little unseen particulates, and especially the CDC for all their hard work in making this happen. Without them, well, the N95 face mask would be just another underutilized tool in the fight to keep people safe and healthy. I’m sure that if Superman ever needed a mask (not for breathing or even a disguise, mind you. Those glasses and hairstyle are clearly a genius …

EARTHQUAKE! “A well my hands are shaky and my knees are weak I can't seem to stand on my own two feet Who do you thank when you have such luck? Oh San Andreas, I'm all shook up yeah, yeah, yeah” All Shook Up – 1957 written by Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley. (Cleverly modified 8/2014) In the breaking dawn of August 17 th, 2014, a 6.0 earthquake struck Northern California. Major structural and property damage, as well as more than 120 people, were injured. This was the l …

Fit testing your company employees for respirators can be thought of the same way the Chinese symbol for crisis incorporates the characters for danger as well as opportunity. Sure there's a chance for things to get completely messed up. Done incorrectly, your fit testing might result in long lines of employees standing idle for hours which would be embarrassing for the fit test administrator and bad for the bottom line. If you are in charge of fit testing for a large organization like a hospi …

We get two questions about respirators more often than all other questions combined. People want to know what size mask to order, and they want to know how they can be sure the mask is fitting properly. Because these are such common questions, you'd think we'd have a quick and easy answer for each of them. But each question has some variables, and it's not so easy. Here's what you need to know to make sure your respirator mask fits correctly. For this discussion we will limit the sco …

First of all, a dust mask is has a single strap that goes over the head and provides very little protection from particles and debris in the air. They're also called nuisance dust masks and they're best used for mild applications like leaf blowing and general household dust protection. Dust masks just don't provide a good face seal and they protect about as well as nose hair, which is to say not that well. Replace them when they look dirty or after about 8 hours of wear. Honestly they're n …