3M Disposable Respirators

Disposable Respirators

What are Disposable Respirators?

Disposable respirators are pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) that protect against the inhalation of hazardous particles suspended in the air. Workers in various industries such as builders, painters & industrial tradespeople require the use of face masks as they have a filtering facepiece that protects against hazardous materials such as dust, airborne particles, fumes & debris from entering the airway.

Types of Disposable Respirators

Depending on the type of work being done, different respirators may be more suitable to the task. Respirators are often employed as dusk masks and are used to protect personnel from inhaling the fine particles released when completing construction work. Respirators collect the particles and after each use can be disposed of, offering a convenient solution.

As disposable respirators are manufactured in various forms and materials, they are effective in protecting against different contaminants such as dangerous chemical compounds. Also, choosing the correct type for your requirement is an important consideration as respirators are often used for specialised protection in specific causes, for example, soldering & welding.

Categories available include:

• Aerosols
• Dangerous Chemical Compounds
• General Purpose
• Soldering
• Welding

Respirator Ratings

• Multiple regulatory bodies govern the different criteria disposable respirators must satisfy to qualify for their respective protection ratings. Consequently, different terminologies exist in different regions to describe the degree of protection offered. FFP1, FFP2 & FFP3 are terms used primarily in Europe to classify the filtering efficiency of respirators
• FFP1 - To satisfy the requirements for FFP1, a respirator must filter at least 80% of particles with leakage of <22%.
• FFP2 - For FFP2, it must filter 94% of particles with leakage of <8%.
• FFP3 - To obtain FFP3, the most stringent classification, a respirator must filter 99% with leakage of <2%.

N95, N99, and N100 are common ratings used primarily for respirators manufactured in the United States. This classification assigns an alphanumeric value, with the initial value categorising the respirator as either:

• N - for non-oil-resistant
• R - for oil-resistant
• P for oil-proof

The most stringent ratings for this criterion are N100, R100, and P100 respectively.

Browse the broad range of Disposable Respirators RS have to offer from industry leading brands 3M, Delta Plus, DeWalt, Draeger, Honeywell, Moldex, Uvex, and our very own, RS PRO.

Disposable Respirators can help support a healthy building by improving Dusts & Pests