Danger Will Robinson! Danger! The importance of good air and PPE in your shop

I found this info on multiple safety web sites.

"Full face respirators are better than half face mask. These respirators provide better seal and more protection that half mask air purifying respirators."
 
MTBob said:
Sean, from a respiratory standpoint does the full face mask offer better air filtration than an equivalent 3m half face mask?
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I can't speak from personal experience (I only have half mask respirators and one that I turned into a supplied air respirator), BUT it shouldn't make a big difference

That said, the mask that Sean bought is compatible with PAPR gear. As I understand it, since PAPR doesn't rely on just your lungs to pull the air through the filter(s), they can use bigger, more effective filters (which are coincidentally more restrictive).

Also, a random PSA: half mask<full face<PAPR<SAR If you're dealing with nasty fumes (e.g. welding a lot of galvanized steel), OSHA actually has a chart that list maximum exposure times based on type of respirator. The reason I like SAR so much, is that it completely removes the air you're in from the equation. You aren't trying to filter the nasty fumes out of the air - you're just piping in clean(er) air.
 
MTBob said:
Sean, from a respiratory standpoint does the full face mask offer better air filtration than an equivalent 3m half face mask?
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Yes it does. According to 3M literature a 3M half mask is rated to be 10 times the filtration limit established by OSHA (I think that was the agency). Whereas the full face mask is rated at 50.

I don't recall what those numbers refer to, and I can't find the source right now. But it was clear from the literature that the full face mask was much more effective that the half.
 
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Sean Jones said:
Yes it does. According to 3M literature a 3M half mask is rated to be 10 times the filtration limit established by OSHA (I think that was the agency). Whereas the full face mask is rated at 50.

I don't recall what those numbers refer to, and I can't find the source right now. But it was clear from the literature that the full face mask was much more effective that the half.
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I still advise that that purchase a PAPR setup for that mask. It aught to do an even better job filtering the air and it should be much for comfortable.

I'm not sure about PAPR, but my "DIY" SAR is WAY less "stuffy" than my normal respirators. I can't use it right now, though. You need to use a good, clean oilless compressor for it (plus filters) and the one I was using I just rebuilt and used some really fancy high temp fuorinated grease on the piston ring (single ring "wobble piston" design) and the reed valves.

This particular grease can let off some nasty fumes at high temp, so I can't use it for breathing air anymore.

My other good oilless compressor I have at a friends house. My OTHER other compressors are are oil lubed pumps...

You CAN use oil lube compressors for breathing air, but you need a good bit of extra filtration to capture all of the oil and oil related fumes.

Sent from my Champion Forge using Tapatalk
 
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