RESPIRATORY PROTECTION SUITABLE FOR EACH APPLICATION
How are you, my blogging friend! I hope you are doing great.
Today we will talk about one of the areas of protection, which is very important, since there are several applications or jobs where users or workers are exposed to chemicals or toxics that can be deadly to health or even life itself.
We agree that it is better to comply with the standards as it should be, in this case with those required by OSHA, so we avoid problems and setbacks due to workplace accidents, which in the end can cause loss of valuable lives, delay in work and economic damage to the company. Also, if your workers know that they are protected, they will work even better and productivity will increase.
So follow me on this blog so that your company has what it needs to protect your workers.
Respiratory hazards in various industrial workplaces can be of different types. They can be gases, fumes, vapors, dusts, mists, fumes, fumes, aerosols, and mists. When breathed in, some of them can make any of your workers sick, or even kill them.
It is important that you, as the one in charge of the lives of all these workers, are sure that you are providing them with all the safety measures, such as:
-Engineering controls (local exhaust air ventilation, etc.)
-Controls on work practices (application of coatings by brush instead of spraying, etc.)
-Administrative controls (minimizing exposure time or the number of workers exposed to the hazard).
Once these points have been covered, we will move on to individual protection, by which I mean that these measures may not be sufficient and risks must be minimized, so depending on the application that you require the workers to make, it is the type of respiratory protection that you must provide them with.
A respirator is vital in rarefied environments and in areas where contaminant levels are high.
TYPES OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTION MASKS
There are two types of protectors:
Filtering equipment, i.e. environment-dependent. In this type of equipment, the inhaled air passes through a filter where contaminants are removed, hence the name filtering equipment.
Examples of filter protection are: half masks with filter material (FFP) to protect against particles, masks with fixed filters that protect against gases and particles, full masks and half masks with replaceable filters and fan-assisted filter protection (motorized or PAPR) for masks and half masks (TM) or hoods, visors and helmets (TH).
Insulating equipment or respiratory systems, independent of the environment, provide the user with air from an independent source, tubes with compressed air or with pure air from a compressor. Some items, such as portable respiratory systems with tubing on the back, are often used with a full face mask. Compressed air devices with hoses are used in full face masks, half masks, hoods, helmets and visors.
RISKS AND HAZARDS TO WHICH A WORKER MAY BE EXPOSED AND REQUIRE RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
Pollutants
Exposure to Airborne Particulate Matter.
The Danger it represents:
Fine particles such as dust, mists or fumes. You can't see or smell many of them. They can get trapped in your respiratory system and cause irritation, or they can enter your lungs and cause illness.
This hazard can occur in activities such as: welding, smelting, furnaces and others where there is exposure to high heat; spraying, cleaning and mixing tasks.
The protection I recommend in these applications is: disposable masks, half face masks and autonomous air equipment.
Exposure to Gases and Vapors.
The Danger it represents:
Gases and vapors that irritate the breathing passages can cause suffocation, or be absorbed into another organ of the body and cause illness.
For example, benzene can cause leukemia. Prolonged exposure to some solvents can decrease mental activity.
This hazard can occur in activities such as: Chemical processing and high temperature operations; parts cleaning, painting, polishing, cleaning and mixing operations.
The protection I recommend in these applications is: Half face respirator, face mask and self-contained breathing apparatus.
Abnormal Environmental Conditions
Exposure to Oxygen Deficiency.
The Danger it represents:
Oxygen deficiency can cause fainting and even death within minutes.
This hazard can occur in: Any enclosed area, including vaults, pipes, pits, manholes.
Note: High concentrations of gases may exclude oxygen.
The protection I recommend in these applications is: autonomous air equipment.
Exposure to Extreme Temperatures
The Danger it represents:
Extremely high or low temperatures can damage the respiratory tract as well as other parts of the body.
The protection I recommend in these applications is: Self-contained air equipment, incorporated into protective clothing.
In short, you have to consider all of this:
-General workplace conditions.
Presence of hazards associated with the workplace that may affect the operation of the equipment. (Physical state: particle, gas or vapor or combination. Toxic properties: irritant, asphyxiant or narcotic. Consider entry of contaminant by another route).
-Concentration of contaminants in the workplace.
-Permissible exposure limits in force.
-Certification of respiratory protection according to current regulations.
-Adaptation of the equipment to the anatomical characteristics of the user.
-Compatibility with other personal protective equipment.
-Health compatible with the use of respiratory protection equipment.
In the case of air-purifying respiratory protection of the negative pressure type, it cannot be used when the worker has a beard on his face.
In short, I think this would be the most fundamental thing to take into account for the proper safety of your workers and thus you will avoid many problems and delays within your company.
I hope my blog has interested you, remember to leave me your comments and if you need specific information about any product contact us.
I'll say goodbye for today, be well. bye!
