Breathing protection 3M

In Europe, there are extensive regulations on safety at work. These describe, among other things, the proper selection and use of protective clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respiratory protection. At a basic level, respiratory protection equipment is divided into two categories.

Self-contained breathing respirators is independent of the ambient atmosphere, air is supplied through oxygen cylinders. This type of respiratory protection is often used in extreme situations such as firefighting.

Filtering respirators, on the other hand, rely on ambient air. Harmful substances that can be harmful to health and that can occur e.g. when handling chemicals are filtered out of this ambient air before they reach the user. Conditions for the use of filtering respirators are that it is technically possible to filter the harmful substances, that the oxygen content of the air is at least 19.5% and that the harmful substances are known and have good warning properties (e.g. taste or smell).

Filtering respiratory masks are divided into several types. Particle-filtering half-masks, also called dust masks or FFP masks, provide reliable protection against particles such as dust and aerosols. Other common types of respiratory masks are half- and full-face masks, which, when fitted with the right filters, offer additional protection against gases and vapours.

Depending on their design, these types of respirators are relatively light, compact, easy to use and low-maintenance. This means that filtering respirators are the right choice for a wide range of common applications in sectors such as industry, agriculture, construction, pharmaceuticals, health, chemicals and raw materials.