The use of respirators has been mandatory in public places in Austria for a year. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends considering respirators to provide better protection, for example, on public transportation or in enclosed crowded spaces.

It’s time to rethink and upgrade masks for you and your family.

A respirator, often incorrectly called a “face mask” because of its appearance, is personal protective equipment manufactured to specific standards and designed to prevent the inhalation of harmful air pollutants.

In the United States, respirator standards are administered by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and cover three areas: filtration efficiency, breathing resistance, and fit.

Filters that meet the N95 standard (equivalent to FFP2 in Europe) must capture at least 95% of particles in the maximum penetration size range at high flow rates. In Australia, respirators must meet TGA standards.

Respirators that are composed entirely of filter material – rather than having layers, such as waterproofing – are known as filtering facepiece respirator (FFR). FFR can be worn multiple times, but must eventually be discarded.

Research has shown that FFRs lose their ability to fit after 20 wears – due to stretched shoulder straps or failure of the nose clip or edge parts.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times