Personal Protective Equipment
for the Preparedness Minded
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On the chance we experience wider spread of the coronavirus here in the U.S., readers will likely want to employ basic protective measures. While online retailers of personal protective equipment (masks, respirators, gloves, etc..) have long since sold out of regular supplies, there is a backup. Make a run to your local hardware, paint or home improvement store, as many of the same products are widely used by painters and other tradesman and handymen.
Regarding masks, the most important details to seek out are the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) approval and filter rating.
According to the CDC: An N-95 respirator is one of nine types of disposable particulate respirators. Particulate respirators are also known as “air-purifying respirators” because they protect by filtering particles out of the air as you breathe. These respirators protect only against particles—not gases or vapors. Since airborne biological agents such as bacteria or viruses are particles, they can be filtered by particulate respirators.
Respirators that filter out at least 95% of airborne particles during “worse case” testing using a “most-penetrating” sized particle are given a 95 rating. Those that filter out at least 99% receive a “99” rating. And those that filter at least 99.97% (essentially 100%) receive a “100” rating.
Respirators in this family are rated as N, R, or P for protection against oils. This rating is important in industry because some industrial oils can degrade the filter performance so it doesn’t filter properly.* Respirators are rated “N,” if they are Not resistant to oil, “R” if somewhat Resistant to oil, and “P” if strongly resistant (oil Proof). Thus, there are nine types of disposable particulate respirators:
N-95, N-99, and N-100
R-95, R-99, and R-100
P-95, P-99, and P-100
Worried About Quality of Masks from a Hardware Store?
According to the FDA: "Most N95 respirators are manufactured for use in construction and other industrial type jobs that expose workers to dust and small particles are regulated by the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These products are labeled "For occupational use."
However, some N-95 respirators are intended for use in a healthcare setting. Specifically, single-use, disposable respiratory protective devices used and worn by healthcare personnel during procedures to protect both the patient and healthcare personnel from the transfer of microorganisms, body fluids, and particulate material."
Purchasing appropriately rated masks in the local hardware store or the same product in pharmacy makes little difference. The key considerations are the NIOSH approval and filter rating, as well as proper use. |
