Respirator failure..

It's still America. Do whatever you want. Just go in with your eyes open and pay your own tab if it goes south. Seems fair to me.


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No one in America "pays their own tab" when it comes to health care.

In this business they do. That's one major impact to being a "full time" knifemaker, with no other source(s) of income. Just ask Karl Anderson... he just went through a shoulder surgery, and it was ALL out of pocket.

As John said, a person can do whatever they want, in whatever manner they choose. We're just passing along the voice of experience.
 
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You are preaching to the choir here guys. I have no doubts that a mask is required. Was just trying to figure out if there was an option that would let me keep the beard (or at least a little stubble on the chin). During the couple hours a week I was working with coal forges last year... the black boogers where a not too subtle reminder.


Doug and Ty,

That is what I was thinking. Been about 20 years since I've had to wear a mask. Wasn't sure if I was remembering it wrong, or if we just took it more seriously because well.. nuclear, biological, and chemical. And in a factory fire, you never know what is leaking/burning. And the off chance that maybe tech and materials had improved since I donned a mask last.

I like having a beard though. :sad:

You can't get a complete seal with facial hair. They have a special machine to check us with where I work and they won't even check you with any facial hair.
Doug
Jn. 3:16

We need a like button. Not only do they not seal but what you are grinding gets trapped on the inside and you keep breathing the same stuff. More and more material gets trapped on the inside and is worse than not having one on.

Steve,
Check with your optometrist. In the AF we had glasses we wore with our masks that would allow a seal; see pic below. Or you might be able to get inserts for your mask.

mask_glasses.gif

I work for a natural gas utility and was the first responder for leaks, big leaks. we used positive pressure facemasks but more often then not we just used full face respirators, the problem I had is I wear glasses so I always stuffed some rag around where the glasses broke the seal. that worked most of the time but there was a few times the pieces of rag would fall or blow out and dirt would come flying in to the point I couldn't see and would have to get out of the hole, I wasn't inhaling it but it would swirl around inside the mask.

I'm still coughing from my first post but it's nothing like all week long, it's almost over. I'll tell you what, I think if I was another ten years older it would of put me in the hospital, damn it's been a long painful week.
 
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Please do yourself a favor and look at the full face mask with positive pressure air flow. 3m may make one of the best. They have a battery powered fan that draws air through a filter and delivers it to a full face mask. You can wear your glasses with them and have a beard as well. They are expensive but there are few things in the knife making business that are not. They are not how to wear, on the contrary, quite comfortable and you can get particulate filters or ones that filter airborne chemicals. You can get replaceable lens covers for when the old ones get scratched also.
I bit the bullet and went with this mask and am really glad I did. Lung problems are not fun, it's not a question of if you will have problems when working in dusty, smoky environments, it's a question of when. Be safe, have fun enjoy life.
 
WY-not, My company bought me the inserts that fit in the mask but after getting them in there the distance from my eyes to the frame gizmos was all screwy, at least that how it seemed to me so I never got the lenses. I'm off the leak truck now...that's a young mans job, I did it for 13 yrs. so now I may only have to don that mask 2-3 times a year. as far as "nobody pays their tab in America for insurance" I don't know what America that is, unless your single and employed by a good company like me, and luckily they supply free insurance JUST for me, as long as I work there....or your retired and on medicare, that helps a lot..... or your on the gov. hand out plan, but I just looked at what insurance for just me would be if I retired tomorrow and it came out around $600.00 a month....and that would be on my "tab".frankly it usually seems like the people who don't give a damn about themselves are the ones that end up having their tab picked up by someone else.
 
I'm $1600/mo on insurance for me, wife, 2 kids....the joys of being a business owner. Obviously if a major medical issue was dealt with it would be well worth it. most days i just hear a sucking sound....so i guess having insurance keeps me from having to pay out of pocket....but sometimes I'm tempted to say the heck with insurance.

I think Jammer meant if you have insurance you are not really paying the tab?
 
I use https://www.amazon.com/Resp-O-Rator-Dust-Respirator-Model-JR-7/dp/B002KA0CMO I converted it to use P100's works fine


So... Is it even possible to wear a respirator with a beard? Do they make a respirator that will actually work with a beard? I don't have a full on Duck Dynasty beard but I do like to keep a beard on my chin. Basic "footprint" is shown in pic below. Length varies with the season. Sometimes trimmed shorter but more often than not that is what I've got on my chin. Currently about 2" long.

View attachment 61257
 
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