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A proper respirator is essential for a wide range of industries with threats to the health and safety of workers. It’s crucial to get the right kind of breathing protection, whether it’s a half-face respirator or a full SCBA respirator system. Respirators are classified by the types of hazards they’ll protect a wearer from, the assigned protection factor, and the substances they’re approved for.Determining Which Equipment You NeedConduct an exposure assessment to learn what hazards you need to p …

Facial hair is just a part of life, but it shouldn’t be a safety hazard. Employers need to make sure their workers have access to reliable OSHA-approved respirators for beards when working in hazardous environments. Facial hair often gets in the way of the seal that connects the respirator to the worker’s face, leaving room for airborne pollutants and hazardous gases.How Should a Respirator Fit with Facial Hair?There are lots of different kinds of facial hair. According to OSHA, employees with n …

Keeping workers safe from hazardous gases, airborne contaminants, and disease-causing particles is a must in any workplace environment. But respirators and filters are not foolproof. If the respirator does not seal properly over the person’s face, these hazards can easily slip through the cracks, which can lead to illness or injury.OSHA requires companies of all sizes to protect their workers from these types of hazards. In addition to providing face masks and respirators to employees, companies …

If your worksite has hazards that can be inhaled, you’re probably familiar with respirator filter cartridges. Heavy respirator use means changing filters or cartridges from time to time. There’s no set life span for filters or cartridges, but the more contaminants they trap, the less protective and less comfortable they become. There are over 20 different types of 3M respirator filters and cartridges designed to protect against different hazards—how do you know which ones are right fo …