Subtitles section Play video
-
Respirators and surgical masks are two types
-
of personal protective equipment - or PPE
-
- that are used to protect workers in
-
healthcare settings. A surgical mask is not a
-
respirator, and that’s an important
-
distinction for you and your employer to
-
understand, so let’s review the significant
-
differences between a respirator and a
-
surgical mask.
-
What is a respirator? A respirator is a type
-
of personal protective equipment designed
-
to reduce your exposure to airborne
-
contaminants. Respirators are available in
-
different types and sizes, and the respirator
-
you use must be individually selected to fit
-
your face and to provide a tight seal. A
-
proper seal between your face and the
-
respirator forces inhaled air to be pulled
-
through the respirator’s filter material, and
-
not through gaps between your face
-
and the respirator.
-
If your supervisor requires you to use a
-
respirator, it must be NIOSH-certified and
-
must be used in the context of a
-
comprehensive respiratory protection
-
program, according to OSHA’s Respiratory
-
Protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, which
-
includes but is not limited to medical
-
evaluation, fit testing, and training elements.
-
Respirators are used routinely to protect
-
healthcare workers against airborne
-
infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis,
-
anthrax, SARs, and Hantavirus because they
-
protect against both large and small particles.
-
What is a Facemask? A facemask is a loose-
-
fitting, disposable mask that covers your
-
nose and mouth. Surgical masks, dental
-
masks, medical procedure masks, isolation
-
masks and laser masks are all
-
types of facemasks.
-
Facemasks help stop large droplets from
-
being spread by the person wearing them,
-
whether that person is a patient or a
-
healthcare worker. Facemasks also keep
-
splashes or sprays from reaching the mouth
-
and nose of the person wearing them.
-
However, facemasks are not designed or
-
certified to seal tightly against your face or
-
to prevent the inhalation of
-
small airborne contaminants.
-
During inhalation, small airborne
-
contaminants pass through gaps between the
-
face and the facemask and the material of
-
the mask. Remember, facemasks are not
-
considered respirators and they do not
-
provide respiratory protection.
-
Only facemasks that are cleared by the U.S.
-
Food and Drug Administration, the FDA for
-
short, may be legally marketed in the United
-
States. The FDA approval signifies that
-
they have been tested for their ability to
-
resist splashes of blood
-
and other body fluids.
-
To offer protection, both facemasks and
-
respirators need to be worn correctly and
-
consistently throughout the time that they
-
are being used. When used properly,
-
facemasks and respirators both play an
-
important role in preventing exposures to
-
different types of hazards.
-
If you need the protection of both a
-
facemask and a respirator, you can use a
-
surgical N95 respirator. Surgical N95
-
respirators offer protection from both
-
airborne and body fluid contaminants and
-
are approved by both NIOSH and FDA.
-
During an infectious disease outbreak, such
-
as SARs or pandemic flu, facemasks and
-
respirators should be used in conjunction
-
with other controls and interventions that are
-
known to prevent the spread of infection.
-
These include engineering and
-
administrative controls, such as installing
-
sneeze guards and permitting teleworking,
-
and work practices, such as cough etiquette,
-
hand hygiene, and avoiding large gatherings.