The Perfect Fit: How To Choose The Right Respiratory Masks

respiratory mask

Respiratory fit masks, aka respirators, are designed to keep many Aussie professionals safe from airborne hazards. Aerosols, biological agents, gases, particulates and vapors are present across a range of Aussie workplaces and they do pose a serious threat to an individual’s health.

Therefore, it is essential that any professional working in an area that is subject to these airborne hazards utilise a respirator. But how do you choose the right design for your business? How can you be sure that you will receive the respirators that protect your team from the pitfalls of airborne hazards?

Well, be sure to follow these essential tips before enlisting the pros for comprehensive respiratory fit mask testing:

Identify your workplace hazards

First, it’s imperative that you are aware of what airborne hazards threaten your team’s health and safety. Being the operational director, you will already have a very good idea of what airborne hazards are a threat to OHS, so it’s important to consider these and link them to the type of respirators you will buy.

For example, half or full-face respirators are designed to protect professionals from gases and vapors. Once you have defined the hazards facing your team you can then move on to the next key consideration.

Familiarise yourself with Australian standards

As an operational director working in Australia, you will be fully aware of our country’s rigid safety standards when it comes to airborne hazards. Therefore, before you purchase any respirators, it’s imperative that you become familiar with Australian safety standards to ensure you purchase the required model for your team.

You should always look for a model with the Australian standard “AS/NZS 1716:2012” displayed on the respirator’s packaging. This way you can be sure that the respirator meets Aussie standards and will provide your team with an extra level of protection!

Choose the right type of respiratory masks

Continuing on from our earlier point, it’s imperative that you choose the right respirators for the hazards your team faces. There are numerous types of respirators on the market, with each providing an optimised level of protection from different airborne hazards.

Respirators include:

  • Air-purifying respirators (APRs): Ideal for protection from gases, particulates and vapors.
  • Supplied air respirators(SARs): Designed to protect individuals from oxygen-depleting environments.
  • Filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs): Designed to protect individuals in less extreme conditions.
  • Consider your operation & your team

Next, it’s always vital to consider your operation and your team in regards to comfort, vision and wearability. After all, it’s no good purchasing a set of respirators that are going to impede on your team’s ability to see – this is a safety hazard of a completely different kind!

So, be sure to consider your operation and how your team will operate within it whilst wearing your chosen respirators.

Once you have purchased the respirators, you should have them professionally tested. This way you can be sure that you have found the perfect balance between hazard protection and wearability.

Get them tested

Sure, you may have already purchased your respirators, and they are the right model of respiratory masks. But it’s never really that simple and this is why proper testing is always required before usage.

Call the experts to conduct comprehensive safety testing before usage. They will ensure that, yes, you have chosen the right model for your team and that they will be protected from any airborne hazards threatening their health and safety!