Personal Protection Equipment
10. Classification of PPE
10.4. Respiratory protection
To use this type of protective equipment, it is essential to distinguish between two distinct situations:
- 1. When breathing air from the ambient atmosphere.
- 2. When the air that is breathed is independent from the ambient atmosphere.
In the former case, the equipment that has to be used is filter equipment; in the latter case, autonomous or semi-autonomous equipment is to be employed.
The latter type of PEE belongs to category III, the certification of which is the most demanding: i.e. the hazard that it protects against may be serious or very serious.
10.4.1. Filter PPE
This is a device in which the air passes through a filter that retains the impurities it contains before being inhaled.
Three types of filtering equipment exist depending on the material that is to be stopped from entering the lungs:
| FILTER EQUIPMENT FOR PARTICLES | Particles filter + facial adaptor |
|---|---|
| Self-filtering mask for particles | |
| FILTER EQUIPMENT FOR GASES AND FUMES | Anti-gas filter + facial adaptor |
| Self-filtering mask for gases and fumes | |
| FILTER EQUIPMENT FOR PARTICLES, GASES AND FUMES | Mixed filter + facial adaptor |
| Self-filtering mixed mask |
When choosing and using this type of equipment, the following aspects should be taken into account:
- Oxygen concentration.
- Pollutant substances.
- Concentration of pollutants.
- Exposure time.
Especially when using this type of equipment, the manufacturer’s indications and prescriptions must be read and strictly adhered to, periodically checking that the equipment still keeps up its protective action.
10.4.2. Autonomous or semi-autonomous equipment
This type of equipment allows the user to breathe air that is independent from the ambient atmosphere.
It may be classified in the following way:
| NON- AUTONOMOUS EQUIPMENT | Fresh air |
|---|---|
| Compressed air | |
| AUTONOMOUS EQUIPMENT | Open circuit |
| Closed circuit |
The necessary protections for a series of chemical products commonly used in the ISASTUR Group or when workers support concentrations higher than the exposure limit are given below
| GALVAZINC, EPOXY, ENAMEL, OXYPRIMER |
| Protection: Half-mask with AB filters for the fumes and an attached P2 filter in the case of pulverising. |
| GALVAPACK, FAST-DRYING COLOURED ENAMEL |
| Protection: Half-mask with AB filters for the fumes and an attached P3 filter due to being an aerosol that produces suspended particles. |
| POLYURETHANE FOAM |
| Protection: Semi-mask with ABC filters for the fumes and an attached P3 filter. |
| PAINT |
| LUBRICANT PAINTS, MOLYKOTE |
| Protection: Type 2 disposable mask in the case of oil mists being formed. |
| AEROSOLS, SOLVENTS, KLEER-KIM |
| Protection: Half-mask with AB filters for the fumes and an attached P2 filter in the case of pulverising. |
| KIK - SOLDAL |
| Protection: Disposable mask with a P2 filter and an exhalation valve. |
