What is Respiratory PPE?

Respiratory protective equipment, often referred to as Respiratory PPE, is a type of personal protective equipment that protects wearers from inhaling hazardous airborne substances like dust, gases, fumes and vapours, providing clean air to breathe in contaminated environments when other controls aren't enough. 

Choosing the right Respiratory PPE for a particular working environment, and ensuring employees are using it properly is essential to their safety.

Who Is Responsible for Respiratory PPE?

If there is a respiratory hazard in your workplace your employer is responsible for:

• Supplying employees with respiratory protective equipment free of charge
• Determining the right type of respiratory protective equipment, based on the nature of the hazard
• Organising staff training to ensure the RPE is used correctly

What Are the Different Types of Respiratory PPE?

Fold Flat Respirators 

Fold flat respirators are disposable folding particle masks, designed to offer high-efficiency respiratory protection while enabling easy, hygienic pocket storage. These respirators are usually available in FFP2 for particles and dust and in FFP3, protecting against fine, toxic dusts. 

You can also get fold flat respirators with an exhalation valve to reduce heat and moisture build up. 

Half Mask Respirators

A half mask respirator covers the nose and mouth of the wearer and is held in place using adjustable straps. As the wearer breathes, air travels through the filters and is cleaned before being inhaled. At SafetyLiftinGear, we supply a range of cartridges to filter out organic vapour and gases, including ABEK type class 1 filters, A type class 2 filters, P3 R type filters and more! We also supply the half mask respirator itself, which has been carefully designed to ensure a secure and comfortable fit when worn.

Full Mask Respirators 

A full mask respirator, also known as a full face respirator, covers the entire face - eyes, nose and mouth, providing comprehensive protection against airborne contaminants, including dust, fumes, vapours and gases. These respirators often offer a higher level of protection than half mask respirators. 

Please ensure that you read the details of these products carefully before purchasing to ensure you are choosing the right mask for the job.

We hope that this makes choosing the right respiratory PPE for your workplace an easier task. To check out our entire range of respiratory PPE, click the button below!

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