Dust & Respirators

[Cobbler]

A little while back l approached a local metal finishing company to see if they would sandblast the rear board of a car cycle rack. As it turned out, the owner couldn’t have been more helpful, she said “give a fiver to the man there doing the blasting & he’ll do it for you” walked over & this chap came out of the dust cloud, covered in dirt, could just see the whites of his eyes! He was just wearing a paper type mask. I wouldn’t have gone in there with less than an air fed setup. What an idiot! The company has now gone, the lady owner died & there was no one to run it, but I think the legacy will live on for the blaster.

 

[RichardM]

I see they are now starting to question the reconstituted stone worktops on the news as silicosis cases are rising.

https://news.sky.com/video/killer-kitchens-why-workers-are-dying-from-a-disease-youve-never-heard-of-13541668

 

[Keith 66]

It is sadly how it is. How I understand trades is if someone walks on site with PPE they will often be laughed at.

I haven't seen a paper mask that I believe does anything. I feel like I'm going crazy wearing a proper respirator, goggles and ear muffs at home but it is what is required to be safe.

When i went to work at Prout catamarans i took my Airstream respirator in with me, Some of the guys laughed & took the mickey, I just grinned back & said "You will look really good in an iron lung". That place was just full of glass dust & you could see it twinkling in the air when the doors were open.
As for paper masks, working in school a few years ago we had a safety bulletin that said they were not to be used as they basically offered next to no protection. Valved ones are better.

Regarding reconsituted stone, It was banned in Australia back in 2024 due to a high number of silicosis cases. A mate of mine in his late 50's uses a lot of it in his job & has a persistent hacking cough. He never ever wears a mask & wont be told.
You can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink!

 

[Jack_K]

I have some paper/fabric disposable masks that offer P3 protection for dust

I saw a clip of a guy wearing an exoskeleton frame attached to his back which helped lift heavy items. Men were mocking it saying I used to carry so many bags of plaster in one go. I said, and how does your back feel nowadays.

A company will only put preventative measures in place if there are personal injurie claims against them. Otherwise they cannot get insured.

My issue with disposable masks is how do they seal against the face? Even a proper respirator needs to fit correctly and can struggle. I guess there is probably a sneaky disclaimer on disposable ones about IF they seal against the face, they meet the ratings.

 

[mark roberts]

My issue with disposable masks is how do they seal against the face? Even a proper respirator needs to fit correctly and can struggle. I guess there is probably a sneaky disclaimer on disposable ones about IF they seal against the face, they meet the ratings.

The ones I have have a foam strip around the edge so with the metal strip around the nose which you deform to your face you end up with a half decent seal. I still wouldnt use them for anything nasty. I have used the 3m versaflo for 10years now and upgraded to the 600 model a few years ago. The filters have a carbon portion for basic spraying also.

 

[charlysays]

Yeah it's nuts how few people wear any meaningful rpe or even ppe. The one I see most often are builders cutting paving slabs outside with no PPE at all. Silica central.

Maybe it's always been like this but fashion over function/ safety is a big issue with respiratory protection. Most tradesmen I know either pull a "that's not fair " face or an "it is what it is" face when you tell them their beard renders any passive RPE useless in terms of delivering it's rated level of filtration.
I'm yet to see a tradie who is clean shaven AND wearing a respirator. Seeing one wearing rpe is a nine days wonder. I can't understand the mentality.

 

[charlysays]

My issue with disposable masks is how do they seal against the face? Even a proper respirator needs to fit correctly and can struggle. I guess there is probably a sneaky disclaimer on disposable ones about IF they seal against the face, they meet the ratings.

Agreed that the fabric ones which have no seal at all are unlikely to seal well even when adjusted uncomfortably tight. The ones we use in work are moulded fabric and have a rudimentary rubbery foam seal around the edge and a fit test proved those work for me but you tend to have to crank up the pressure which makes them unsuitable for long work sessions.