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Being able to breathe without inhaling dangerous particulates and vapors is crucial to respiratory safety. Many workers using respirators for jobs involving construction, often wonder how long their respirator filters last before they should be replaced. The actual answer is “it depends,” but that’s because much of it is relative to the environment in which they are being used. While different filters have different capabilities and limitations, the filter or cartridge cha …

Welders understand that the fumes and gases produced from their work can lead to serious illness. The danger and amount of exposure to the welders depend on the type of work being done, the rod, filler metals, base metals, coatings, contaminants, as well as the amount of ventilation and respiration protection. We simply don't know everything there is to know about protecting workers from welding fumes. However, there are some common precautions that can be taken to protect workers …

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 …

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 …

A common inquiry from customers concerns protection from mold exposure, particularly when trying to clean up or get rid of mold. Our focus will be on choosing respirator and filters. First, we should probably say that there are a couple of considerations. Some people are simply more sensitive to mold than others and even small exposures will make them ill. Second, not all mold is created equal. Some forms, Stachybotrys chartarum (often referred to as black mold) can have severe health c …