PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
It is very important to protect yourself while working in the glass studio. Remember to protect your:
- Eyes (Safety Glasses)
- Face (Face Shield)
- Lungs (Respirator)
- Hands (gloves)
- Skin (appropriate clothing)
- Feet (wear closed toe shoes)
Safety Glasses:
- Always wear SAFETY GLASSES when working in the glass studio.
- The current standard for safety eye-wear is published by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is called the Z87.1-2020 standard.
- If you wear prescription glasses, you can wear safety glasses over them or you can order safety glasses in your prescription.
- Most manufacturers make safety glasses with “cheaters” which have magnification.
- Sometimes a face shield is a better choice if safety glasses do not provide adequate protection (grinding glass where glass chips are flying).
- Go to HEAT & INFRARED RADIATION to learn about protecting your eyes from infrared radiation.
Respirators:
Respirators are devices that selectively purify breathing air. They are essential when working around many chemicals and dusts. Always wear the right respirator for the exposure! Different respirators protect against different exposures. Respirators must be worn correctly and there must not be anything interfere with the seal to the face (beards!). Always read and understand the label before using a respirator so that you understand how to wear it correctly and understand its limitations.
Wearing a respirator creates some level of breathing resistance. Talk to your physician before wearing a respirator if:
- You have Coronary Heart Disease
- Respiratory Issues (Emphysema, Asthma)
- Pregnant
There are two major types of respirators:
- Air Supplied: These are the type of respirator used for unknown atmospheres or atmospheres that are deficient in oxygen. They either have a tank (SCBA) or an airline running to a pump. These types of respirators are almost never used in glass studios and will not be discussed here.
- Air Purifying: These types of respirators have some sort of filter. These can be positive pressure (a pump moves the air) or negative pressure (your lungs move the air).
ALWAYS WEAR THE CORRECT RESPIRATOR!
If you are exposed to organic vapors (some paints, solvents, etc) and are wearing a N95, you are not wearing the right protection. ALWAYS make sure you are wearing the correct respirator for the exposure. An elastometric respirator with P100/Organic Vapor cartridges works for most exposures in the glass studio. If your exposure is only moderate levels of dust, a N95 filtering facepiece is usually adequate.
PAPR - Powered Air Purifying Respirator
A PAPR is a battery-operated air-purifying respirator. It uses a blower and filters the air and delivers it to the mask. They have a protection factor of 25. There is no breathing resistance. They are very expensive, hard to maintain and overkill in the glass studio.
Full-Face Elastometric Respirator
This style has interchangeable cartridges for a variety of exposures. It has a protection factor of 50, the highest of all air-purifying respirators. Comes in a variety of sizes and is easily adjust for good face fit. It is easy to do a periodic fit check. Nothing (glasses, hair, beard) should interfere with the seal.
Filtering Facepiece
Used particulate exposure but there are some specifically designed that add protection for nuisance levels of acid gas or organic vapors. Referred to as a N95. It has a protection factor of 10. Not always the best fit to face. Throw away when dirty.
Half Face Elastometric
This style has interchangeable cartridges for a variety of exposures. It has a protection factor of 10. They come in a variety of sizes and is easily adjust for good face fit. It is easy to do a periodic fit check. Easily cleaned for reuse.
Respirator Approval:
When purchasing respirators always make sure it is NIOSH approved. NIOSH is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and is a division of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). There will be a TC (Testing and Certification) number on the respirator. Due to the COVID pandemic many counterfeit respirators came on the market so always buy from a reputable seller. You can also check the NIOSH database to verify the TC number.
NIOSH TC Number
Protection Factors:
- Indicator of the effectiveness of a particular type of respirator.
- The higher the Protection Factor, the better the respirator is at protecting the wearer.
- Assigned by NIOSH.
- Exposure Limit for chemical exposure X Protection Factor = Level of Protection.
- Example: 5 mg/m3 X 10 = Respirator is effective for exposures up to 50 mg/m3.
- Protection Factors:
o Full Face Elastometric: 50
o Half Face Elastometric: 10
o Filtering Facepiece: 10
Filtration Performance:
- N95 – Not resistant to oil, 95% efficient for particles ≥ 0.3 µm (microns)
- R95 – Resistant to oil for a limited time, 95% efficient for particles ≥ 0.3 µm (microns)
- P95 – Oil proof, 95% efficient for particles ≥ 0.3 µm (microns)
- P100 – Oil proof, 99.7% efficient for particles > 0.3 µm (microns)
RULE OF THUMB FOR RESPIRATORS
95% efficient (N95) is adequate for most dust exposures in a glass art studio. Upgrade to a 97.7% efficient (P100) cartridge for exposures to very toxic fibers or particulate such as RCF (Refractory Ceramic Fibers), asbestos or silica. It is not so much about the increased filter efficiency (only 2.7% better) but the better fit of an elastometric vs. filtering facepiece.
If a filter is N, R or P is not a big issue. Buy what is available. There is also a KN95 designation which is the Chinese equivalent to N95.
You are more likely to wear a respirator if it is comfortable. Choose a respirator that provides the correct and adequate protection that fits well and is comfortable.
How to Use a Respirator:
- Respirators are available in a variety of sizes – make sure you buy the right size for your face.
- The respirator must be properly positioned over your nose and mouth at all times.
- The top strap or head harness assembly is positioned high on the back of the head.
- The lower strap is worn at the back of the neck below the ears.
- Do not buy one strap respirators! They do not fit well.
- The straps are snug enough to keep the respirator from moving but not overly tight.
- Nothing (beards, head coverings, etc.) passes between the skin of the face and the respirator’s sealing edge.
- Filtering Facepiece masks often have a metal strip over the nose. Make sure that you pinch it to fit your nose.
RESPIRATORS MUST FIT SNUGLY TO WORK PROPERLY
Respirator fit testing:
- NEGATIVE PRESSURE CHECK: Put your palm over the filter and breathe in – the respirator should slightly collapse on your face and you should not feel a leak .
- POSITIVE PRESSURE CHECK: Put your palm over the exhalation valve and breathe out – you should not feel a leak.
- Do this every time you put on a respirator.
- Filtering facepiece masks are difficult to fit test so make sure they are snug and when breathing in and out you do not feel excessive airflow around the mask, especially the nose. Make sure you squeeze the metal nose clip tight.
Changing Respirators/Cartridges:
Store the respirator and cartridges in a plastic bag to protect it when not in use. The fastest way to ruin a respirator is to let it get dirty or expose the cartridges unnecessarily. Cartridges should be changed regularly. Replace the dust mask or change the filters when you notice:
- Increased breathing resistance (dust cartridges).
- Physical damage to any part of the facepiece or filters.
- The inside of the dust mask becomes unsanitary.
- Time use limitations for the specific respirator require replacement.
- If smell, taste or irritation from the contaminant(s) is detected.
- Follow the recommendations of the respirator manufacturer.
What a Respirator Can Do:
Filtering Facepiece:
- Good for Dust/Fume/Mist exposures.
- Good for nuisance dust, paint (latex) mist.
- Does NOT work for chemical vapors (acetone, ammonia, etc.). However, there are some filtering facepieces that offer nuisance exposure control for some chemicals such as organics and acid gas.
- Does NOT work for gases (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, etc.).
Elastometric – Particulate Cartridge
- Not for chemical exposures.
- P100 cartridge is appropriate for toxic dusts like RCF, silica dust, lead.
Elastometric – Chemical Cartridge
- Variety of chemical-specific cartridges are available.
- Organic Vapor, Acid Gas are most common.
- Always insure you select the correct filter for the exposure.
What a Respirator Can NOT Do:
- An air-purifying respirator cannot provide a breathing atmosphere when there is a lack of oxygen - that requires an air-supplied respirator, Air-purifying respirators are designed to purify the air, not supply oxygen.
- An air-purifying respirator cannot protect against exposures for which it was not intended. Always make sure you have the correct chemical cartridge for the exposure.
RESPIRATOR Resources:
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