One of the first steps to a safe working environment and using the right PPE is measuring and analysing.
But don’t forget air quality. Clean air is also vital to ensure your employees can work safely.
Measuring is knowing
You must be aware of your employees’ exposure levels in order to choose the right masks and filters for their working environments.
It also means that you can estimate the life expectancy of the filters more accurately.
The use of diffusion monitors or personal monitors can help in this regard too.
They offer a flexible method for conducting air measurements for certain gases and vapours.
Discover the range of personal monitors
Analyse your samples.
An industrial hygiene laboratory ((Dutch) can help with this.
Use the analysis to compare your exposure levels with the legal limits (Dutch) for employees.
Choose the most suitable respiratory protection
If the risk cannot be eliminated or managed with other measures, you must choose the most suitable respiratory protection to ensure your team can work safely.
When making this choice, consider the following elements:
• Disposable or reusable masks?
• Environment-dependent or independent respiratory protection?
• Motor-driven or not?
• Maintenance-free or equipment that needs to be maintained?
Use the selection tool from 3M Select and Service to easily identify the most suitable respiratory protection with filters.
If the hazards can be eliminated by means of filters and you have found the right filter, you can calculate the protection factor or NPF . This will determine the type of mask required and the choice of motor unit. You can apply the following formula: Concentration in the workplace/limits < NPF of the respiratory protection device. With category 1 filters, the concentrations may not be higher than 1000 ppm and, for category 2 filters, no higher than 5000 ppm.
Read this article too: When did you last replace your filters?
Validation, training and motivation
Validation
Once you have chosen the right equipment, the fit is vital to ensure top quality protection.
So make sure you have face-fit-tests carried out with your employees to confirm that your choice is also suitable for them.
Read more about face-fit tests
Training
Once the right mask has been selected, it is essential that the user is trained in the correct usage and maintenance of the mask.
It is also important to provide demonstrations which show how a mask is worn correctly.
All too often, wearing the mask incorrectly leads to ineffective protection.
Motivation
Naturally, Personal Protective Equipment is only useful if it is worn correctly.
Raise awareness among your employees regarding the importance of respiratory protection and the consequences of not wearing protection.
This can include toolbox meetings, motivation films and campaigns.
As a result, the content of the training is reinforced on the work floor.
Always maintain a good maintenance plan
When you have identified contaminants and their concentrations and, on this basis, have chosen the appropriate respiratory protection, it is important to set up a corresponding replacement schedule for your gas and vapour filters. This ensures that your employees are always working safely.
Once you are aware of the hazards and concentration levels, you can calculate the right replacement intervals using the calculator below.
Calculate filter rotation here