Hardwood Floors April/May 2019

is treated with additives to help adsorb speci c chemical types. It’s critical to look on the packaging for more information on which chemicals the cartridges are meant to help protect against. Keep in mind that in the wood ooring industry, there are certain chemicals that are particularly dangerous that you need to look out for. For example, keep an eye out for methylene chloride. is is a dangerous chemical commonly found in strippers that cartridges are not e ective at ltering out. is is also true for the chemical methanol, which can sometimes be found in certain nishes. If you are exposed to either of these chemicals in concentrations that exceed OSHA’s limits, you would then need to use a supplied air system to help protect your lungs. ere are many others out there, so do your homework before starting a job. ese are just a few of the common misconceptions in the industry. If you have any others that you’d like us to debunk, we’d like to hear from you. Feel free to call 3M at 1.800.243.4630. Jason Lunn is Senior Application Development Engineer for 3M. Rebecca L.Schumann is Industrial Hygienist, Personal Safety Division of 3M.

NIOSH Particulate Filter Classification Respirator filters (such as disposable respirators and reusable respirator filters) must meet filtration standards from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The nine filtration classifications are shown in the chart below.

FILTER EFFICIENCY

95 ( ≥ 95%)

99 ( ≥ 99%)

100 ( ≥ 99.97%)

OIL RESISTANCE N (Not resistant to oil)

N95

N99

N100

R (Resistant to oil;

R95

R99

R100

time-use limitations)

P (Oil proof; time-use limitations)

P95

P99

P100

at hand. Workers will also need to know how to put on a respirator correctly as well as perform a user seal check reliably prior to each use and job. Of course, workers should also read and follow all user instructions as well. As you can see, there are a fewmore things that go into wearing a respirator than simply throwing one on. MISCONCEPTION “I can get a good seal even with facial hair,” or “I can wear my respirator when I have just a bit of stubble.” e seal of the respirator to your face is an important factor in protecting your respiratory health. Do you know what can a ect a proper t? Facial hair. No ma er if it’s a disposable or reusable respirator, the user needs to be cleanly shaven to wear any tight- ing respirator. You may think that going into work with a 5 o’clock shadow is just ne, but we assure you, it is not. Even a day’s growth of stubble is enough to interfere with the seal to the face. Also, as mentioned earlier, it is important to follow all user instructions and to know how to perform a user seal check to help ensure you are ge ing that secure seal that you need.

MISCONCEPTION “A reusable respirator forms a be er seal.” Many people assume that because a reusable respirator has a rubber-like facepiece, it will form a be er seal to the face and o er more protection than a disposable respirator. e truth of the ma er is, when properly t, a disposable respirator can form a tight seal to the face and o er the same level of protection as a half-face reusable respirator. But just like disposables, you will still need to use the product as part of an OSHA respiratory protection program (i.e., 29 CFR 1910.134), including being medically cleared and t-tested. MISCONCEPTION “I just need a charcoal cartridge.” about a chemical cartridge with activated carbon inside. One myth about reusable respirators is that any carbon cartridge will work for chemical exposures, but not all chemical cartridges protect the same. In reality, you need tomatch the cartridge to the chemicals you’re being exposed to. is is because the carbon in the cartridge When you hear people refer to a “charcoal” cartridge, they’re talking

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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