Safety masks are important to keep the workers safe from inhaling harmful particles such as dust, silica and airborne pathogens that may be present on the jobsite. Exposure to these dangerous substances can cause lung impairment, cancer, disease or even death. So, it is recommended to wear a safety mask over the mouth, nose, and sometimes the full face to protect against the inhalation of these particles. 

There are different types of masks offered depending upon the place you are working. An employer must train their employees on how to fit their mask correctly and protect their health at work. It is essential that you choose a comfortable mask which tightly fits your face and provides the level of protection needed.

Bag-valve-mask (BVM) or self inflating bag is used to provide ventilation to the person not breathing normally. It consists of a self-inflating bag, mask, and an oxygen inlet which is attached to an oxygen source to deliver the desired amount of oxygen needed for the patient. 

BVM ventilation is usually performed by two people, one places the mask to the patient’s face with both hands to maintain a leak-proof mask seal, while the other squeezes the bag and focuses on breathing and timing. 

Lookout for the common BVM pitfalls such as,

• Not maintaining an effective seal
• Over-ventilating and hyperventilating
• Not properly positioning the airway

Dust masks are particularly used to protect people from dust and other airborne dangers. The mask comes in a variety of sizes and designs, allowing you to choose a mask that perfectly fits your face. Those working in construction companies are provided with dust masks to help reduce exposure to particles such as sand, paints, and drywalls.

At the workplace, everyone is required to wear a dust mask to reduce the risk of inhaling dangerous substances which can cause coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or breathing difficulties. Always wear a mask while doing home improvement activities or even gardening, you may never know when contaminants such as dust, mold spores, sprays or pollen can be in the air you’re breathing.

Gas mask respirators include a facepiece or mask, filter, and a strap to secure the facepiece to the head. They are used to filter out substances in the air that cause injuries, diseases or deaths. People working in chemical factories are advised to wear respirators to safeguard themselves from gas and other harmful chemicals. 

Respirators must be tightly fitted and it should seal around the nasal area to prevent yourself from toxic contaminants. Employers must train their team to perform storage, maintenance, use, and discarding of the respirator in a proper way.

Cartridge Respirators are tight fitting masks that create a facial seal to protect you from certain diseases that spread through the airborne route. Filters used in the facepiece respirators protect workers against the multitude of airborne hazards such as particulates, gases, fumes and vapours.

It is recommended to replace the filters according to the conditions of exposure, capacity of the filter, type of filter, and frequency of use. Correct usage of the respirators are required to help workers achieve the prescribed levels of respiratory protection and a safer workplace.

Full Face Safety Mask offers proper protection of eyes and the rest of the face to workers in the construction industry. There are chances of flying debris, chemical fumes or even fire, which can cause irreversible facial disfigurements or lacerations. It is mandatory for the employer to teach the importance of wearing full face shields to the workers to prevent hazardous exposure.

Due to various safety hazards in the industry, It is always better to cover your entire face rather than just a part of it. Since it covers the entire face, it also protects against liquid splashes and irritating vapours.

Half Face Safety Mask is a tight-fitting respirator that covers the user’s mouth and nose providing protection from harmful contaminants such as vapors or particulates. They are made of rubber or synthetic material and you can easily swap out the filters within the reusable half-mask respirators.

Prior to wearing the respirator make sure you have a good facial seal with a negative and positive pressure. The swept back design of cartridges enhance visibility and balance. They are widely used during spray painting, cleaning, and chemical processing. You can customize the filters depending upon specific hazards.

Vaultex is a reputed safety mask brand that provides respiratory protection against certain non-oil based particles. The mask can be used while performing cleaning, facility maintenance, assembly, demolition, grinding, sanding, machine operations, etc. They are also compatible with a variety of protective eyewear and hearing protection.

Breathing cascade allows for the use of one or more cylinders at a time to ensure that the crew have breathable air available beyond the expected duration of the operation. This will establish a high level of safety available to the workforce in a toxic gas environment. 

Cascade breathing air systems can be custom built to your design and they can be easily expanded by adding whips and additional cylinders.