| The following pages will provide you with a brief overview of the most important factors which must be considered when choosing filtering respiratory protective devices.
Answer the following questions before deciding to use filtering respiratory equipment:
- Is there sufficient oxygen present in the ambient air? (Be sure to observe local regulations. In Germany a minimum of 17 % Oxygen by volume is required, in the UK even 19 % is required.)
- What hazardous substances are found in ambient air?
- What form and concentration are these hazardous substances found in?
- Do the contaminants have suitable warning properties, for example, smell or taste?
- What are the valid occupation exposme limit values for these hazardous substances for?
- Is additional personal protection equipment necessary in addition to respiratory protection, for example eye, ear or head protection? Only when sufficient Oxygen is present, the hazardous substances are known and are under the limit values should filtering respiratory equipment be used. If these factors are not known the supplied air or an SCBA should be used.
2. Selecting the right mask based on its given protection factor.
Once the type, characteristic and concentration of hazardous substances are known, the type of mask needed can be determined based on the protection factors.
Protection factor calculation.
3. Additional factors which can influence the choice of filtering respiratory protection.
In addition to classifying the protection level, some user-specific factors must be considered when choosing filtering respiratory protective devices: Including
Possible combinations with other personal protective equipment
- Suitability for skin
- Compatibility with other PPE
- Proper fit
- Breathing resistance & weight
- Freedom of movement
- Field of vision
- Ability to communicate
- Temperature and humidity
Our presentation on device selection offers you a large amount of information about selecting and using filtering respiratory protective devices. Feel free to use yourself as part of your filtering respiratory protection training.
Protection factors
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