Keep your respirator clean!

• Health and safety is the most important reason. Chances are, if you are wearing a respirator you are doing so to protect yourself from a hazardous substance. If this substance accumulates on your mask and you do not clean it off, you or one of your co-workers could become seriously ill if exposed to it. Additionally, mould can build-up on poorly maintained respirators, and this also has the potential to cause serious health problems.

• Respirator Fit Testing can be problematic for workers who show up with a dirty respirator. Firstly, the fit tester may decline the test if they deem the respirator to be in a poor condition. Secondly, if a fit test is conducted under the particle counting method (quantitative fit testing), the chances of passing could be greatly reduced with an unclean respirator due to the accumulation of particulate matter.

• It sets a good example for your co-workers who will notice and likely adopt the same behaviour. This is not only beneficial in helping keep a workplace safe and healthy (which is in turn good for company culture) but it also means external people who enter your worksite will notice health and safety is taken seriously. This is great for company image!

Click here to learn about Chemsafety’s Respiratory Protection Programme

Click here to find out more about our Respirator Fit Testing