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We've had several customers ask about protection from the Hantavirus. Infection with hantavirus comes from contact with infected rodents and can develop into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which can be life threatening. Yosemite, one of the most spectacular US National Parks, has announced a total of 10 confirmed cases of hantavirus among recent visitors. The virus isn't passed between people, but is caught by coming in contact with deer mice, cotton rats, rice rats, or the white- …

The deadly explosion of the West Fertilizer Plant in West, Texas is still in the search and rescue stages, but serious air quality risks may now be affecting local residents and rescue workers. What can emergency workers and volunteers do to minimize the health hazards that are likely present on the site of, and in the immediate vicinity of, this most recent US explosion? At a news conference, local Waco Police Department Sgt. William Swanton said this morning, "Air quality, at this …

Don't forget your jacket and your face mask. These words are more likely than ever to be spoken as people leave the house in major cities in China and other industrialized cities around the world these days. As air pollution degenerates further and further, lung protection becomes important not just for those working in factories and other places with dirty flying particles, but simply for day to day health in cities like Beijing, with over 20 million people. According to an article …

We’ve touched on airborne lead exposure from indoor gun ranges in the past. Get The Lead Out – Shooters at Indoor Ranges Need Respirators.  OSHA is apparently now on the lookout for increased lead exposure for shooters and employees at indoor ranges (I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with our post) and recently fined a range in Illinois $111,000 for airborne lead exposure limits up to 12 times the safe level. Another company in Florida was sited for not properly protecting employee …

I don't know if the road to Heck is paved with good intentions, but I do know that my pledge to make healthier life choices and wear a mask when commuting by bike in San Francisco hit a major pot hole soon after I started. The first mask I tried was the Moldex AirWave respirator mask. While it was comfortable on my face, and I felt like it created a good seal, once I started breathing hard, it got pretty hot in there. Even thought it wasn't difficult to draw a breath, once I let the …

Companies across the globe are including fragrances in their heating and ventilation systems. It's part of what emotional branding companies such as DMX call a multi-sensory experience. Retail stores may use scent in combination with audio and visual systems to enhance brand awareness. Smell associations, say DMX, are so strong they can even increase worker productivity. Whatever the reason, these scent systems can make it difficult for employees working in the affected areas who have frag …

To save money and to stick with my New Year’s resolution of making healthier life choices, I now commute to work by bicycle. Before this year, I hadn’t ridden a bike since I was about ten. But as the saying goes, I had no problem jumping right back on despite my fear of getting on the road with the relentless Californian drivers. I was certainly afraid of riding on the road with all the cars at first, but I've eventually gotten over that hump. Now I find myself facing a different concer …

Last week a customer sent us a question asking how long the 3M 2097 Particulate Mold Filters last. The answer is - it depends. Since it's a fairly common question, and "it depends" is such an unsatisfactory answer, we thought we'd explain it here in a bit more detail. The useful life of filters and cartridges is not fixed. In the case of the 3M 2097 P100 (HEPA) filters, we have two elements to consider: the filter and the charcoal layer. The P100 HEPA (which stands for High-Efficiency …

There is an old saying when in comes to safety that "the best mask is one you'll wear". And we agree. However, if there are a couple of masks comfortable enough to keep on while you work, then you've got some choices to make. For simple wood sanding, some folks recommend the old standard 3M 8210 particulate respirator. Lots of people would call this style a dust mask. Others would say that it's barely better than nose hair. It's an N95 which means it will filter out 95% of the partic …

This weekend was kind of a nightmare. After getting rear-ended on my way home from work, I decided to make myself a much-deserved cup of tea—except instead of turning on the burner below my pot of lukewarm water, I accidentally flipped the one to the right.* After only about thirty seconds my husband and I noticed smoke coming from the kitchen.  Peter hopped off the couch, ran into the kitchen, and managed to take the leftover piece of plastic** from flames to a warped cooling mess. Imme …