PKSafety.com Blog

Chances are all of us have some level of exposure to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is inexpensive to produce and has a wide range of uses from building materials such as paint or the glue used to bind plywood, particle board and paneling to the Brazilian Blowout, a hair-straitening product found to contain startlingly high concentrations of this dangerous compound.

For those who work in industries where formaldehyde is used regularly the dangers are quite serious. Even light contact with formaldehyde (also abbreviated HCHO) can irritate the eyes and affect the mucous membranes and upper respiratory system. Prolonged or acute exposure can create severe abdominal pain, convulsions, diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia or pulmonary edema. Not only that, but OSHA has determined that formaldehyde is a genotoxic, showing properties of both a cancer initiator and promoter for early and late stage carcinogen. While those who work around formaldehyde regularly – agricultural workers, drug makers, furniture makers and finishers, and now salon workers – are at some risk of ingesting the compound, the more common routes for exposure are through skin absorption and inhalation.

While latex gloves provide some barrier to absorption, butyl or nitrile gloves are recommended and should be used when contact is anticipated. With regard to inhalation, employers who require workers to be exposed to formaldehyde in concentrations over .75 parts of formaldehyde per million parts of air (.75 ppm), must provide and make sure the employees wear respirators that conform to OSHA standards 1910.134 for respiratory protection. A great mask that meets these requirements is the Moldex 9000 Respirator Combination.

The Moldex 9000 is a full face respirator that, when properly worn, will protect not only the lungs of the wearer, but also the eyes and the mucous membranes that can be affected by formaldehyde fumes. The mask features Moldex 7600 Multi-Gas Vapor Smart Cartridges that are capable of filtering multiple gases that may be present in the same work space.

According to Wikipedia, last year over 50 billion tons of formaldehyde was produced worldwide. Workers and employers who work with this compound need to take steps to prevent exposure that can lead to short term and long term hazards to health.

Justin Respiratory Formaldehyde, manufacturing, OSHA, Respirator, worker protection

The Airwave disposable respirator by Moldex is one of those exceptional and delightful instances when a change is an actual breakthrough, like the first jet aircraft or nuclear submarine. In the world of disposable respirators, the Airwave is at that level of world-changing event. Not only does it promise greater breathability than a valve respirator, it is also much cheaper and easier on the person wearing it.

The statistics tell the story. Notice its cool accordion shape? Its Flexfit design acts like a spring that expands when you move your jaw, which keeps a good seal over your nose and mouth along with making the mask more comfortable. Safety gear is the best when it is so comfortable that you forget it’s on. But within that fancy looking form lies double the surface area of a normal respirator. It doesn’t just look neat, it is giving you twice the number of ways to get air in and out of the filter area. In comparison to a valve respirator, the Airwave boasts a whopping 68% less inhale resistance and 51% less exhale resistance. In comparison to non-valve masks, the Airwave gets 65% less inhale resistance and 68% less exhale resistance.

Basically, these numbers mean the mask is twice as easy to breathe through as anything else out there. As for why this matters, think about how mountain climbers sometimes need oxygen tanks, because the air is thinner at high elevation. Or, in a less extreme scenario, how jogging somewhere that is high above sea level is tougher than at a lower elevation. How alert and energetic you are depends upon how much oxygen you are drawing into your body. While a regular dust mask is safe, it can gradually tire you out for this very reason. Less air is going into your body than it would with normal breathing. The Airwave helps increase productivity by fighting against this fatigue and at a cost that is far below a valve respirator. Its greater surface area also eliminates the buildup of moisture within the mask

So let’s review: the mask has twice the ventilation of anything else out there, costs a fraction of valve masks, and stays dry inside better than anything else. PK is happy to sweeten the deal on the Airwave disposable respirator by offering ten percent off a box of ten when you enter the code AIRWAVE10 between now and January 22, 2012. There is still time to add this to your list of resolutions.

Mike Respiratory Discounts, Dust Mask Respirator, Moldex

Leonardo da Vinci did more than paint the Mona Lisa. He was also a safety pioneer! Seeing some of his fellow artists coughing while chiseling and sanding marble, he had the idea that a piece of cloth dipped in water and stretched over the nose and mouth could make the job safer. He was onto something. Safety masks have become a job site necessity for many different professions and hobbies. (He should have been using an N95. Get yours here.)

It’s a good thing too, because lungs are delicate and hard to repair. Over the past 300 years or so, advancements in chemistry and industry have continuously caused us to learn this fact the hard way. In fact, we have used tons of chemicals before knowing the myriad of ways these nifty potions turn our bodies into toxic goo. Most of the time, we can’t even see it happening. The majority of airborne particles are between .1 and 5 microns. A micron is one millionth of a meter, which is far too small to see with the naked eye, unless you have some sort of Batman gadget that makes it possible.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a division of the Centers for Disease Control, determines ratings that allow a person to choose the right mask for whatever job needs to be done.  Here are the major ratings in clear language, along with what each one protects against. Print out this little chart and hang onto it. Also, note what some do not protect against:

The “N” stands for the not resistant to oil, of course, and “P” is for “oil proof,” and can help you remember that only masks with a “P” rating can provide ample protection against oil-based particulates.  It is helpful to note that since government agencies determine these ratings, one N95 mask that is more expensive than another will not provide some kind of “better” N95 protection. (Check out some of our N95 masks like the Moldex 2300!) It’s likely the added cost is simply connected to a name brand.

With Christmas around the corner, it’s good news that Santa’s sleigh is reindeer powered. (Although if he were allergic to reindeer, an N95 mask would serve him well.) If his sleigh ran on diesel, he might have to cancel Christmas or shave off his trademark beard. (For those of you without facial hair, you can protect yourself from diesel with a P100 filter and a half face mask.) As many a beard wearer learns to his chagrin, facial hair makes a mask essentially useless, so while those with beards look cool and rugged on the outside, their lungs will suffer if they are working jobs that require a mask. This is the time of year when you can appreciate why it matters to stay safe year round. We sell a number of P100 pancake filters (like the 3M 2091) that you can attach to your respirator.  

Mike Respiratory Dust Masks, Lungs, Moldex 2300, N100, N95, N99, P100, P95, P99, Pancake Filters, Particulate Filter, R95, Respirator, Respirators, Safety Masks

Confined spaces can be a pain to ventilate, and every location you work in will be a little different. As a result, it can be hard to find your bearings when you’re first starting out. We’re well aware of this, so we’ve put together this basic guide to help prime you for your first ventilation jobs.

1. What are we up against?

Start every job this way: Assess the safety of your confined space by using a multi-gas detector with a pump and a remote test probe. These two features will allow you to test all levels of your space without getting hurt. Remote, multi-level tests are always necessary because different gases collect in different zones. Methane, for example, rises to the ceiling, while carbon monoxide mixes with oxygen in the middle of a space, and hydrogen sulfide sits low on the floor. A single-layer test could give you an incomplete picture, and that could spell disaster for you and your team.

2. Ventilate!

Most confined spaces can be aired out with grounded axial fans, but if your gas detector finds explosive agents you’ll need an intrinsically safe blower to prevent explosions and fires.

Aside from your blower, you’ll need to find the right kind of venting and ducting for your job. Supply ventilation (blowing air in rather than sucking it out) is the easiest method. However, as easy as it is, it doesn’t eliminate common ducting problems. Too little ducting can keep you from completely venting dangerous atmospheres. Longer ducting usually works better, though you’ll need to make sure that bad air doesn’t recirculate into your space. Do this by keeping your fan upwind from the confined space’s entryway or by using extra ducting on the intake side of your fan to draw air at a safe distance.

When you’re ready to do your job, take a second to figure out how long you’ll need to blow your fan. You can get a rough estimate by dividing the volume of your confined space by your fan’s airflow rating. So, if your fan is rated to push 1600 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and you have a room with 800 cubic feet, dividing 800 by 1600 will tell you about how long you’ll need to clear the air in the room once (800/1600 = 0.5, or about half a minute). This is just a rough estimate, though; definitely let a few complete cycles of fresh air flush your space before you move on.

3. Is my space safe to enter?

After you’ve flushed your space a few times, run another multi-layer test with your gas detector. Once it gives you the all clear, you should carefully enter, taking your monitor along with you. If it rings at any time, leave immediately and try to figure out what went wrong. Did you use enough ducting? Is it possible that bad air got recycled into your space? If you’re stumped, you should definitely consult an expert. With that said, feel free to give us a call!

Rick Respiratory Air Vent Systems, Axial Blade Fan, Confined Space, Confined Space Entry, Confined Space Safety, Ventilation Blower, Ventilation Fan

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 folks are just very sensitive to mold, 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) for instance, can have severe health consequences. In both cases we want to offer the most effective protection we can. I mention this because for the average consumer, cleaning mold around the tub is not hazardous and we don’t want to over react.

I’ll talk about two key elements: filtration and mask selection.

For the filters, we want to use a HEPA rated filter. The terminology used in respirators means you should look for either P100 or N100 ratings. That is, 99.7% of all particles 0.3 microns and larger will be filtered out. This is the best (most efficient) filter offered for use on respirators, and will very effectively trap mold spores. As a further refinement, a layer of charcoal will absorb the vapors given off by active mold growth. This may be a thin layer as in the 3M 2097, or a cartridge such as the Moldex 7600 Multi-gas.

For mask selection, we always recommend using a full-face respirator because mold spores affect and can enter the body through the nose, mouth and eyes. Using a full-face respirator, we are filtering all of the air reaching these critical areas. It may be that a half mask and goggles will work, but why take the chance? Also, we are going to be using some harsh chemicals to get rid of the mold, so protecting they eyes is important there too.

Our best selling full-face mask and filter combo for this application is the Moldex 9000-7600 Asbestos and Mold Full Face Respirator. They are offered in 3 sizes, though in general the fit on a full-face respirator is more forgiving than the half mask style. Please also note that prescription glasses are not recommended, as the temples will interfere with the mask seal.

Once in use, we should probably think about changing the P100 filters fairly regularly if used in mold removal. The spores do get trapped pretty well, but it’s best to get them in a garbage bag and down the road rather than hanging around. The multi-gas cartridges should last a good while, and only need to be replaced when you can start to smell odors through the mask.

Administrator Respiratory 3m 2097, Black Mold, Charcoal Filters, Filter, Filtration, Full-Face Mask, HEPA, Mask Selection, Mold, Moldex 7600 Multi-gas, Moldex 9000, Moldex 9000-7600 Asbestos and Mold Full Face Respirator, Multi-Gas Cartridge, N100, P100, Stachybotrys Chartarum

“Why don’t employers give their workers the best respiratory protection?”

This is a question that we run into all the time. It basically comes down to two issues: not wanting to fit test and cost.

Fit Testing

Many employers believe that if they are not offering an approved mask to their workers, they don’t need to worry about fit testing. Unfortunately, this is a misconception. Since the only way to know for sure that a mask is doing its job is through fit testing, OSHA makes it a mandatory part of any respirator program. Depending on how strictly you interpret the regulations, employers should not offer a non-approved respirator to their employees in the first place.

Basic fit testing is a little time consuming, but it’s not difficult. Kits are available on our site, or it can be performed as a service by a variety of industrial hygienists. Many safety folks like to have the documentation for employee files.

Cost

The second issue is cost. There is the cost associated with fit testing and the cost of the masks themselves. In general, lower quality masks are cheaper.

Our customers, and even some suppliers, use the term ‘dust mask’ freely. However, technically a dust mask is not a device approved by NIOSH. The simple, lightweight mask with a single strap is not recognized as a device that can protect your lungs, but it’s cheap! Boxes of 50 dust masks are typically around $6.85/box.

The purpose of any mask is to keep you from inhaling bad stuff, but the poor fit and low quality filter material of the dust mask don’t protect the wearer from vapors. If you’re doing a relatively simple task, like sweeping out the garage or running a leaf blower, and just want to keep large particles of dust out of your face, then it’s a good option.

By contrast, a disposable respirator with an N95 rating has been tested and recognized as meeting certain thresholds of filter efficiency and mask fit. This level of performance is our most popular category of disposable respirators.

This level of technology and testing does increase the cost. Our most popular basic N95 mask is the 3M 8210, and they sell for about $12.85 per box of 20 masks. Optional features, including exhalation valves, can increase this cost.

The cost per mask, in very general terms is  about $.14 for the dust mask and $.64 for the N95 disposable respirator. When ordering a large quantity of masks, this difference in cost adds up.

If you have any questions about which mask is right for your job, please give us a call! Reduced respiratory function over time may be attributed to hazards on the job versus lifestyle choices or previous employment exposures. A pro-active effort on the part of the employer can help reduce or eliminate this liability.

Administrator Respiratory 3M 8210, Dust Mask, Fit Test, Fit Testing, N95, Respirator

In this post we will look at a customer who was working with bleach and mold. This customer will need a respirator mask and filters to protect against both. We will look at what combinations do that:

I am looking for a respirator and respirator cartridges to protect me while I apply a bleach solution to my entire attic to kill mold. What would be the correct combination of mask and filters for that application?

This poses an interesting question. In looking at a mask and filters, we need to find a combination that protects you both from the bleach vapors, and also from the spores of the growing mold. First let’s look at respirator masks.

When using chlorine bleach, we want to use a full face respirator (vs. half mask) since bleach can affect all mucous membranes. This means that bleach will affect the eyes and nose, especially in close quarters with poor ventilation, like in an attic. For the full face mask, I recommend the 6800 Full Facepiece Respirator Mask by 3M. It is comfortable, seals well, and offers great protection for the price point.

If you were simply being exposed to mold spores, I would still recommend 6800 Full Facepiece Mask because the eyes present a pathway for mold spores to enter your body. Depending on the type of mold, and your sensitivity, this can be quite a problem. With exposure to either bleach or mold, you need to protect your mouth/lungs, nose and eyes.

For the filter cartridge, you will need a combination of a multi-gas cartridge and a P100 (HEPA) filter to protect you from the bleach vapors and mold spores respectively. The filter cartridge that does this the best is the 3M 60926 Multi-Gas/P100 Cartridge.

Once you have the mask/filter combination on, you should not be able to smell or taste the bleach. When you start to, it is time to change the cartridges. There is no set time, and this is the only indication that the life of the cartridge has been expended. They are then disposed of.

Mold spores and bleach vapors are not something you want to be exposed to, especially in poorly ventilated areas. Making sure that you have the right respirator mask and filter is essential for keeping yourself safe. If you have any questions about which mask and filters to use in your application, please feel free to contact us and ask.

Administrator Respiratory 60926, 6800, Bleach, Cartridge, Filter, Home Improvement, Mold, Mold Removal, Respirator Mask, Ventilation

When working with dangerous chemicals, it is extremely important to have the right safety equipment. Many chemical products are available that have hidden problems. Here is a question I recently got from a customer working with dangerous vapors:

What Paint Respirator should I use when spraying Urethane Paint? The information sheet I received about it says to use a NIOSH-approved activated Charcoal cartridge respirator. I would like to use a half mask if possible.

You ask a very difficult question, and one without a good answer. As you note, manufacturers of urethane coatings would like you to believe that wearing a mask with organic vapor cartridges and a prefilter will keep you safe from the solvents and isocyanates these paints contain. Obtaining a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) can alert you to the presence of this and other hazards in the coatings you would like to spray.

Let’s talk for a minute about isocyanates. They are colorless, tasteless, odorless sensitizing vapors. To be a sensitizer means that, while your first reaction to it may be mild, each subsequent exposure will yield a more serious reaction. Common symptoms are asthma attacks, which may become severe, with some sensitized reactions even known to cause death.

Since they are odorless, colorless and tasteless, you will not know that you have been exposed to isocyanates until you react to them. Hence the problem with using cartridge type respirators. If you don’t know when you are beginning to be exposed, how do you know when to change your cartridges?

In an industrial setting, air monitoring is required by OSHA to establish the level of solvents in the air as a means to develop a timetable for changing your cartridges. Smaller companies don’t do this, let alone hobbyists. My concern with just using a half mask and filters is that you will be exposed to the isocyanates.

The only true answer is to use an airline respirator to isolate you from the environment. For more information about airline respirators, read our archived blog post about them here, or check out their page on our website here.

A less effective strategy is to employ good ventilation and change cartridges aggressively, maybe as often as every couple of hours of exposure. If you would like to get a little further into it, 3M has a tech support line that can walk you through what I have just said. 3M can be reached at 800-243-4630.

As always, don’t hesitate to contact us and ask about your specific situation.

Administrator Respiratory Airline Respirator, Filter, Half Face Mask, Isocyanates, OSHA, Pre Filter, Sensitizers, Urethane, Ventilation

The variety of jobs and tasks our customers set out to do continually amazes me. Here is a query from a recent customer about his task:

In an upcoming job I will be melting lead and spraying acrylic and lacquer based paints. What mask and filters do you recommend to protect me from the fumes associated with these tasks? How does sizing on the masks work?

For the lead fumes I suggest using a P100 (HEPA) filter such as the 3M 2091 Particulate Filter or the 3M 7093 P100 HEPA filter. P100 and N100 filters are rated for this application. Lower rated (N95) filters will not stop these dangerous and toxic substances.

For spraying paint of the types you mentioned, I would recommend a different combination: the 3M 6001 organic vapor cartridge with a 5P71 prefilter, held on with a 501 retainer.

All of these filter combinations will fit on either the 6000 or 7500 series half mask respirators. Both masks will work well, but the 3M 7500 silicone facepiece is more comfortable and seems to fit more people, while the 3M 6000 is more economical.

There are ways of making a combination that will cover both paint and lead fumes, but it would be more expensive, both initially and in the long run.

Sadly, there is no definitive way to know which size is correct in advance. About 75% of the masks we sell are size medium. If you think that you have a large face, then you likely do (or at least pretty close to large). That is about the best advice I can give on sizing. We have a more complete explanation of the respirator size question at http://www.pksafety.com/halfmask.html our half mask respirator page.

As always, if you have a question about your specific application, feel free to contact us and ask. It’s better to be sure that you are getting the right protection than to breathe in something like lead fumes!

Administrator Respiratory Acrylic, Filters, Half Mask, HEPA, Lead, Lead Fumes, Mask, N100, Paint, Paint Fumes, Respirator, Respirator Mask

I had a customer recently who worked with a wide variety of materials and needed a mask and filters to cover everything. Let’s take a look:

I am working around many materials that I would like protection from. I am cutting hardened epoxy, fiberglass, wood, and plastic. I also do welding from time to time. I am also exposed to epoxies in the liquid state.  Which mask and replaceable filters should I be using to protect me from these exposures? How long do the filters last? What size mask should I buy?

For working with the liquid epoxy, and cutting it after hardening, I recommend the 3M 60921 organic vapor cartridges. It has a layer of activated charcoal to absorb the vapors generated and a P100 (HEPA) filter to catch the particles. I would use this same combination when cutting the fiberglass and plastic.

For the woodworking and welding I would recommend the 3M 2097 particulate filters. This P100 rated filter will catch the smallest particles as well as the metal fumes generated during welding. A thin layer of charcoal absorbs nuisance vapors and the ozone from arc type welding.

You can interchange the recommended filters and cartridges on the same half mask respirator. The 3M 6000 half face piece mask is our top selling half mask and is more economy minded in terms of price. If you are looking for a more comfortable respirator, I would go with the 3M 7500 half face piece mask. All of these filters, cartridges and masks are available on our site, and are in stock.

Unfortunately there is no set time for filter or cartridge life. It depends very much on the concentration of the particles being breathed. Filters should be easy to breathe through when new. As they get used, particles accumulate on the filter, and the breathing resistance increases. It gets to a point where it is hard to breathe through, and then it is time to change. The happy side of this is that the filters are getting more efficient as they get loaded up with dust, but there is a practical limit to this.

For cartridges, they absorb vapors like a sponge. When new, you should not smell or taste the solvent. This means that once they have absorbed all they can, you get ‘breakthrough,’ meaning you will smell or taste the solvent. Then it is time to change. It should also be noted that when the concentration of vapors exceeds the capacity of the cartridge to take in vapors, the cartridge can be overwhelmed (temporarily) and you again get breakthrough.

The mask sizing goes like this; about 80% of our customers buy medium size. If your face is quite small (thinking petite woman), then choose small. For large, the face will be noticeably large, or have an unusually prominent nose (for instance). Fit testing is really the only sure way to tell. Unfortunately there are no real measurements you can follow. I hope this helped!

As always feel free to contact us with questions specific to your task!

Administrator Respiratory 6000 Half Face Mask, 60921 Organic Vapor Cartridge, Cartridge, Epoxie, Filter, Half Face Piece Mask, Respirator