The Use of Surgical & Respiratory Masks

 

With COVID19 spreading day by day, more and more information is being circulated for the betterment of the people and society as a whole. The deadly pandemic has made us aware of many terms and essentials which were not known to most of us. Masks being the central measure for the prevention of the virus, day by day many new findings are also being revealed.

Respirators and surgical masks are widely used in healthcare settings. It’s interesting to know that only respirators can be used for respiratory protection against airborne chemical hazards. As both of these masks are used in healthcare settings, it is important for all to know the differences between them.

Respirators

·         Designed to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne contaminants such as dust, fume, vapours and infectious agents

Surgical Masks

·         Designed to provide a barrier protection against large particle droplets and does not effectively filter inhaled small particles, fumes and vapours

·         These are used in situations where respiratory protection is recommended

·         It is primarily used to protect patients and healthcare workers from people who may have respiratory infections

·         Also used to protect sterilized and disinfected medical devices and supplies

Tips to Improve the Selection and Use of Respirators and Surgical Masks

• Thorough inspection and assessment of the specific work environment to determine the hazards that are present. Surgical masks do not provide respiratory protection from chemical hazards.
•  If chemical or any other hazards are present, the appropriate selection needs to be done to protect the workers from them and communicate selection decision to each affected worker.
•  All workers who are required to wear tightly fitted respirators must have a medical evaluation to determine the worker’s ability to wear a respirator
• Governments all around the world are trying to contain the spread of the coronavirus. There is also a section of people for who wearing a mask is difficult or distressing. Some of the reasons are:

·       Autism: People with autism spectrum disorders might find covering the nose and mouth sensory overload, panicky and a situation of extreme anxiety

·        Disability: With disabled people, it might be difficult to remove to move the mask from their face and so, they might find wearing a mask difficult

·        Claustrophobia and Asthma: People with such conditions may find it hard to wear a mask

·        Hearing Impairment: People who are with such problem might find it difficult to read lips to communicate. Hence, deaf people or people with the hearing problem have their own challenges to wearing the mask

·        Facial deformities: They might be incompatible to wear masks

It is therefore advisable for all of such people to stay at home and avoid interaction with people. Talking about professionally made face mask, Honeywell is a trusted name in the manufacturing of N95 masks. Honeywell’s N95 masks are regulated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. It is a trusted and well-known brand when it comes to the manufacturing of facemasks. One can visit their website to know more about the features and the production update on these.