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We have lots of folks who call us asking which is the correct 3M respirator cartridge for their job. It's not always easy to know. 3M alone has more than 20 cartridges and filters for different types of work. We'd like to start breaking down the different uses each of these products, and we will start with some of the most popular. All of the cartridges we'll discuss are filled with activated charcoal. Each has slightly different characteristics, so let's discuss which solution is best …

The Bay Area abounds with many wonderful old things. Vintage boats and Victorian era houses are two that often end up benefiting from a product called penetrating epoxy. For the owners of old houses, this epoxy seeps deep into damaged or rotten wood creating incredible strength while eliminating the possibility of future rot on gingerbread, bay windows, dentils, and lentils. It is seen as almost a miracle in an age when traditional woodworking crafts have largely disappeared. For classic boat …

We've all heard tests of the emergency broadcast system over the TV and radio. The long monotone and subsequent beeps of digital information being transmitted are generally followed by an announcement that this was a test ("This is only a test"). Last night as I listened to the baseball game, I heard my first real emergency broadcast. The announcement directed residents of several counties in the Bay Area, including mine, to shelter in place. The Chevron refinery in Richmond, one of the …

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 …

There are lots of things you'll see on TV that you should stay away from personally. A recent re-run that made us shake our collective heads was the lung protection worn by folks who should know better in some truly frightening homes shown on the A&E show Hoarders. Let us say for the record that if legions of rats (or cats) are using your home as a restroom, or if you go into a house that hasn't had working plumbing since the Nixon era, there are more than likely some very real reaso …

We get lots of people contacting us wanting to know how to properly remove asbestos from their homes. The questions, and our answers, generally center around removal of asbestos from four main areas: furnace ducting, floor tiles, exterior siding, and the old popcorn ceiling. They are not all the same, and there are varying levels of success for the DIY homeowners. Almost everyone knows they are digging into a dangerous mess when they start any project dealing with asbestos. Professional …

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 …

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 …

Maybe it's just because of Facebook, but we are noticing a trend these days among dedicated fishermen - lots of them are making their own lead sinkers. Lead melts at a relatively low temperature, and many sporting suppliers sell molds for casting the fishing weights. It's fun. But beware - lead dust and fumes can be extremely toxic. Even if you are melting and casting lead outdoors, you still need to protect yourself with a respirator. Let's cover some of the basics for folks maki …