We all know how necessary it is to keep yourself protected from the dust that is produced as a result of jobs like drilling, digging, vacuuming, and drywall dusting. The production of this type of dust can result in certain health disorders, ranging from mild to severe. Some examples of health disorders caused due to this dust include infarction and failure of the respiratory tract. Dust masks are used as a preventative measure.
The objective of a dust mask, whether it is a disposable or half-face mask, is to prevent you from inhaling particular hazards and various other kinds of airborne particles, such as the dust produced from wood, brick dust, and even household dust. Moreover, it offers you protection against various types of powders and aerosols, which are also termed as aqueous fog.
These dust masks find their application in a variety of industries like construction, pharmaceutical, and agricultural industries. DIY people should also wear a mask while working on any DIY project in their home or elsewhere. It should be noted that these dust masks come in three distinct types. These types are generally referred to by using the safety acronyms that represent these types. The three types of dust masks are known as FFP1, FFP2, and FFP3. All these types offer different levels of protection. Therefore, you need to be aware of the characteristics of all masks to find the right one for your application, in order to stay protected from the hazardous dust.
The “FFP” in these safety acronyms refers to the phrase “Filtering Face Piece”. The number with FFP represents the level of protection offered by a certain type of dust mask. These can have some more simple and short acronyms, these acronyms are P1, P2, and P3 respectively. All these types should comply with specific factors by OEL (optional exposure limit) and APF (assumed protection factor) set for each type of dust mask. We have put together some valuable details about each type of dust mask to help you choose the right one. Further details are given below:
P1 Dust Masks:
Here are some brief details regarding the protection offered by P1 dust masks and its usage.
- P1 masks can protect you against low levels of
dust.
- These masks also offer protection against
solid and liquid aerosols.
- You can use these masks while performing jobs
like cutting, drilling, and hand sanding.
- In terms of both the OEL and APF, these masks are capable of offering protection against materials that are in 4x concentration.
P2 Dust Masks:
Here are details about the characteristics of dust masks with P2 level
protection:
- These masks are capable of protection against
moderate levels of dust particulate.
- Like P1 masks, P2 masks also offer protection
against solid and liquid aerosols.
- These masks offer much higher protection than
P1 masks.
- You should use these masks while performing
jobs like plastering and sanding.
- In terms of OEL, P2 masks offer protection
against 12x concentration limit materials.
- In the case of APF, these masks are capable of
offering protection against materials with a concentration limit of 10x.
P3 Dust Masks:
Here is some information about P3 masks:
- These masks are capable of offering protection
against much higher levels of dust.
- P3 masks also offer protection against solid
and liquid aerosols.
- The masks are capable of dealing with issues
like hazardous powders like the ones used in the pharmaceutical
industry.
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