Frag Out! Magazine
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Respiratory protective equipment The protective face masks (face and respiratory pro- tection) and half masks (respiratory protection only) constitute the most common respiratory protection. The face masks can operate on the principle of an iso- lation (like firefighter's masks) or on the principle of a filtration. Due to the limited space hereunder, we will focus on the most widely-used filtering masks. Such ma- sks only cover the mouth and nose, and their function is to filter the air from particles found in the fog, dust or smoke - filtering masks in any manner neither protect against vapours nor gases. The EN 149 classifies filtering respirators into three classes. They are described with the acronym FFP (filtering face piece) and a number indi- cating a level of protection (from FFP1 - the lowest level of protection, to FFP3 - the highest). The choice of a half mask depends on the environment in which you need to work. It is worth remembering that as a level of protection increases, a discomfort related to the use of the mask increases, too. The higher the le- vel of protection, the harder it is to breathe and the user can use the mask for a shorter duration/less frequently. Each mask has information about the protection class and whether it is a reusable one (R) or can be used only on one shift (NR). Each mask must be worn according to the manufacturer's instructions so that it tightly adhe- res to the face. The user's facial hair or strong make-up deprives the mask of its protective features. Furthermo- re, everyone who uses protective masks and respirators should be fit-tested prior to their use. A special hood is put on the head of a test subject. Then aspartame (swe- etener) is sprayed. If the test subject senses its taste, it means that the mask does not fit appropriately. The fit test is aimed at teaching you how to put the mask on correctly. How often should the facemask be changed? It de- pends on the manufacturer's recommendations and the environment in which you work. If you are exposed to a dust hazard, the answer is when the mask begins to make it difficult to breathe. In case of the biological ha- zard, it had better be replaced after each contact with the patient (so as not to spread the infection) and after each touching/moving the mask. A process of taking off the mask used in the biohazard environment must com- ply with the requirements of the antiseptic principles (protection against contamination), too. Upon taking off the mask, it should immediately be thrown to a properly marked waste bin. A common mistake is to treat medi- cal (so-called surgical) face masks as protective masks. Such masks have no protective properties for the user and only serve to protect the patient, not the personnel. ANALYSIS