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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 …

Number 4 on OSHA's Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards is Respiratory Protection. OSHA aims to control the occupational diseases and medical ailments caused by breathing air containing harmful "dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors." When permanent engineering solutions are not available to clear the air workers breath, ventilation systems or specific respirator masks need to be employed. Appropriate respirators must be provided to employees by the employe …

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 …

Just about everyone understands that physical contact with lead is bad for you. It's a serious health hazard for adults and it's an even more serious hazard for children. It can cause nerve problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, and outright brain damage for your children. For you, it can cause muscle and joint pain, hypertension, or reproductive problems. You really don't want your home contaminated with lead. Back in the day, people didn't know that lead was so dangerous, so they …

Even professional firefighters may underestimate the danger of smoke from simple fires say experts. Traditionally, firefighters have equated large emissions of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or carbon monoxide (CO) with hazmat incidents or chemical plant situations. In reality HCN is present in almost every type of call - home, vehicle, dumpster fires, and many more. Resources such as gas monitors have traditionally mainly been used by confined space entry teams and hazmat response teams. Bu …

We are seeing a trend in the safety industry away from our old friend PVC. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely used plastic product in the world. And for good reason. It's tough, inexpensive, and very easy to manipulate. The pipes made from PVC have revolutionized plumbing, and it's used in everything from shower curtains to safety gloves. The down-side to PVC is it's not the most environmentally friendly of products. In fact, it's downright unfriendly. Toxic chemicals associate …

One of the most frequent questions about the respirators we carry at pksafety.com is what size to buy. All our respirators come in small, medium or large, and most first-time buyers have no idea which is best for them. A proper fit is just about the most important consideration for a respirator, especially when pesticides, lead, or other harmful substances are in the air. Unfortunately the only way to know for sure if your respirator has a good seal is to do an OSHA-approved fit test …

Folks often ask us which respirator to use for spray painting and automotive body work. There are some good options out there but the type of filter and respirator mask will depend largely on the kind of work you do, and how often you are doing it. The only safe solution for urethane paint is pulling clean air from a remote spot and that requires an airline respirator system like the Allegro 9200-01 System. But let's talk about basics first. For instance, if you are sanding Bondo, gr …

The first in a two-part series on boatyard DIY protective equipment: The PK Safety offices are located near a boat repair facility in Alameda California. Each day we see boat owners and crew members working on their boats wearing substandard protective equipment. Sail or power, boat projects often involve coming into contact with some of the most toxic chemical and paint products on the market. From epoxy to bottom paint to varnish, almost everything that preserves a boat is potentially …