Respro - Urban Survival Equipment

There are countless environments where specific or non-specific pollution may occur and it is next to impossible to evaluate all possibilities and suggest one or other of our mask.

Simple risk assessment can be made by determining the likelihood of the type of pollutant that you may be at risk from. Generally, the pollutant will take the form of one or a combination of the following: Gas, Fume, Vapour or Particulate.

In a work environment, it is important that the assigned health and safety officer does a risk assessment. Following any risk assessment proper respiratory protection will be specified. It is important to note that in the US and Europe and Australia specifiable respiratory protection has to be certified. This means that the device has been subjected to a number of tests that ensure that the device will be fit for the application intended.

Should you be a single person company ie, carpenter, welder, or a small company who doesn't yet have an assigned health and safety officer, then information can be obtained form your local health and safety officer at your local council or municipality who should be able to provide you with further information.

UNDERSTANDING OEL (OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE LIMIT)

Within the work place environment an assessment of risk is normally carried out by a health and safety officer within the company. The officer would determine the level of risk by measurement of the level of particulate and specify appropriate measures including the specification of respiratory equipment for use in the work place environment.

Respiratory equipment is usually specified on the basis of an exposure limit of all hazardous material likely to be either inhalable or respirable. These levels are determined by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and are used as the basis for the specification of respiratory protection equipment. The exposure limit will vary according to the toxicity or hazardous nature of the material.

For example the exposure limit for airborne aluminium particulate is 10mg/m3 as listed by the HSE. If a risk assessment is carried out and it is found that the levels of Aluminium dust are measured at 40mg/m3 then the correct specification for the mask must be at least four times the exposure limit as set by the HSE. If the levels were 100mg/m3 then the mask specification must be at least ten times the exposure limit.

All mask specified must conform to a standard, whether it be a European or American standard otherwise it cannot be specified for use. For particulate matter the European standard is EN149 with various protection levels within it P1, P2,or P3. The Alpha mask offer a range of protection levels: 4.5 x OEL (P1), 12.5 x OEL (P2) and 50. x OEL (P3). 1n the above case, we would recommend the P1 mask for the environment measured 40mg/m3, as this would give adequate protection for concentrations up to 45mg/m3 and P2 for the environment measured at 100mg/m3, as this would give adequate protection for concentrations up to 125mg/m3.

All mask that conform to EN149 are tested with a particle size of 0.5 microns. Should the assessment reveal a predominance of particulates less than 0.5 microns then an alternative respiratory unit like a supplied air system, or full BA must be specified.