- Eye & Face Protection
- Head Protection
- Respiratory Protection
- Ear Protection
- Hand Protection
- Fall Protection
- Safety & Non Safety Footwear
- Welding Safety Equipment
- Fire Fighter & Emergency Equipment
- Marine Safety Equipment
- Road Safety Equipment
- Spill Management Equipment
- First Aid & Skin Care Products
- Work Accessories
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- Electrical Safety Equipment
- Workwear
Respiratory Protection
It should be taken into account that respiratory protection is falling into category III (protection against mortal danger) according to Personal Protective Equipment Directive 89/686/EEC. Very careful risk assessment should be made prior to selecting the right type of respiratory protection.
Attention should be given to the following main aspects:
OEL - Occupational Exposure Limit (is an upper limit on the acceptable concentration of a hazardous substance in workplace air for a particular material or class of materials)
TWA - 8 hours Time Weighted Average (it is used as the average exposure to a contaminant to which workers may be exposed without adverse effect over a period, such as in an 8-hour day or 40-hour week (an average work shift). They are usually expressed in units of ppm (volume/volume) or mg/m3)
STEL - Short-Term Exposure Limit (is a limit value above which exposure to a substance should not occur and usually relates to a 15 minute reference period The aim of a STEL is to prevent adverse health effects and other unwanted effects due to peak exposure that may not be controlled by the application of an 8 hour TWA limit)
After air monitoring the Measured Exposure Level should be compared to Occupational Exposure Limit. Measured exposure level should be divided by OEL to get a Respiratory Hazard Level.
Based on calculations and situation appropriate Respirator with greater APF (Assigned Protection Factor) should be selected.
Guide