Mask designs - one post for them all???

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,411
1,698
Cumbria
There used to be more welders here. Full boiler suit, welding hat, welding gauntlets and positive pressure welding mask system. In summer they sweat badly. They have to take breaks in hot days, but still hit their count!!!
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,411
1,698
Cumbria
Well we've been playing with a few homemade options. First was two buffs. Second was two buffs with a kitchen paper filter. Third was the same minus the inner buff. Fourth was a sock mask with paper filter.

My view is double buff especially with a filter centre simply give my glasses up too much. I could get away with the single buff with filter inside.

The sock mask looks messy but at £5 for 7 socks it's cheap enough. The sock stretches to form to the face where you need it but there's a good out to the side. I didn't cut enough off each end to really stretch it enough? The heel fits nicely to the chin. It holds a filter nicely too. The sock alone would not offer much filter effect but the paper does. The sock option is certainly better with glasses.

The filter pad consists of a single layer of kitchen paper folded into a concertina before stepping the ends and opening it up. Two layers should offer more filtration but still allow you to breathe through it.

As to how you look I don't think that's important but the buff option looks better than the sock option. I saw an old man in Tesco's with a hankie mask stitched sat the sides with bootlaces. It looked a mess but it covered his face well and was very usable. He never once touched it or adjusted it once so I guess it was comfortable.
 

fenix

Forager
Jul 8, 2008
136
102
Kent
Most masks do come in a variety of sizes, but you will always get somebody that needs something different. If your properly face fit tested it only covers one model and size, you cant jump to another mask from the same manufacturer, let alone a different manufacturer. The more you wear it the less you fiddle, have had to wear air fed environment suits in the past, so wearing a mask for the day isn't much of a drag.
Part of my job is advising on PPE selection, I also work with chlorine and phosgene so its a subject close to my heart.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,411
1,698
Cumbria
Used to work with some nasty acids as part of my course at university. The work placement wouldn't allow it on site despite being an R&D establishment. My project needed it so the university allowed me to use it there. Needless to say the woman who ran those labs put a rocket up the jacksies of the undergrads who were running around behind my fume cupboard while I was using it like the school kids they really still were.

My memory has failed me what it was but one drop would keep on stripping calcium out of your bones once it gets that far all without burning the skin. An Aussie post-grad got a couple of drops on his leg and the took him to the swimming pool as back then there wasn't a chemical shower. They tried to amputate his leg but was too late. That was the scare story I got told. The COSSH assessment was pretty thorough too. I also had my own antidote and knew the fastest way to the chemical shower.

When you work with dangerous chemicals or hazardous materials you soon learn all you need to know about protecting yourself. At work there's quite a few with face fit masks. We have a consultant we use to select what mask is needed and to face fit/train the operators. That's on top of local extraction. Everyone on shopfloor has ear p, safety glasses. Safety boots and gloves appropriate to their job. Also, 3m protective suits if want or need it. Despite that it's still a battle with some people. One guy wouldn't wear ear p. After leaving our place he put a claim in for hearing damage. It went through to all his previous employers some were big and had the lawyers to fight. He got nothing because we had made him sign something saying he had received the PPE needed for his work area.

Among non-PPE wearing general public I suspect mask wearing take up won't be popular and they'll probably not get the potential benefit due to fit and the fiddle factor contamination. I still think it's worth people wearing masks. Small benefits are still benefits.
 

fenix

Forager
Jul 8, 2008
136
102
Kent
Used to work with some nasty acids as part of my course at university. The work placement wouldn't allow it on site despite being an R&D establishment. My project needed it so the university allowed me to use it there. Needless to say the woman who ran those labs put a rocket up the jacksies of the undergrads who were running around behind my fume cupboard while I was using it like the school kids they really still were.

My memory has failed me what it was but one drop would keep on stripping calcium out of your bones once it gets that far all without burning the skin. An Aussie post-grad got a couple of drops on his leg and the took him to the swimming pool as back then there wasn't a chemical shower. They tried to amputate his leg but was too late. That was the scare story I got told. The COSSH assessment was pretty thorough too. I also had my own antidote and knew the fastest way to the chemical shower.

When you work with dangerous chemicals or hazardous materials you soon learn all you need to know about protecting yourself. At work there's quite a few with face fit masks. We have a consultant we use to select what mask is needed and to face fit/train the operators. That's on top of local extraction. Everyone on shopfloor has ear p, safety glasses. Safety boots and gloves appropriate to their job. Also, 3m protective suits if want or need it. Despite that it's still a battle with some people. One guy wouldn't wear ear p. After leaving our place he put a claim in for hearing damage. It went through to all his previous employers some were big and had the lawyers to fight. He got nothing because we had made him sign something saying he had received the PPE needed for his work area.

Among non-PPE wearing general public I suspect mask wearing take up won't be popular and they'll probably not get the potential benefit due to fit and the fiddle factor contamination. I still think it's worth people wearing masks. Small benefits are still benefits.

Looking at half the posts on facebook and the 3D printing forums most people seem to be treating masks as a fashion accessory.
The acid you mention is probably hydrofluoric. Truly nasty stuff, I worked for a company making optical kit years ago, we used the fumes to cut the image into tank battle sights. We did carry the first aid kit which included a syringe of stuff to inject under the burn.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,411
1,698
Cumbria
That's the stuff. I also had to sign something saying I wasn't going to work with hexavalent chromium IIRC too. Not many places allow that.

One of my previous employers had an interesting find. They shut down a small site in South Wales and moved most of the people up to the main site. One guy left but he had a filling cabinet of his own files. They got moved to the main site where a couple of my managers sorted through the cabinet. Fortunately one guy was a chemist and recognized chrysotile in a bag. A big sample of it in virgin mineral form. I'm case people aren't aware that is the most commonly used form of asbestos and not nice. Fortunately a local waste company took it from us once it was double bagged. They took the bag wearing masks and took it into a special plastic lined and sealed container. They took no chances.

Those not taking it seriously I've noticed are wearing heavy duty industrial masks that were probably face fitted on them through work. Some of them had valves but that's not advised for the first use of masks namely to prevent your bugs getting out. I wonder if they realised there might be ok wearing them but others aren't??
 
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
I've sewn several of these masks up for both myself and the wife.

View attachment 58855
A marked improvement, I must say.

Masks are for other people unless they are tight enough to prevent egress outside the filter. In amy public space, such as a tube train or operating theatre a surgical mask will prevent you spreading the virus, but in aerosol form with out negative pressure ventilation (like an operating theatre) you will breathe in the nasties. Probably good manners and good public hygiene, to wear one. Just pretend you can cough asbestos.
 
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Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,411
1,698
Cumbria
Just seen on the Johnstone pram website that the supply Noordi face masks for £6.99 if you don't want to make your own. Two layers of polycotton with silver ion anti microbial treatment. Oeki certified child safe as Noordi are a pram maker. Shapeable wire at the nose and available in adult it child size 3-10 years. They look good for £6.99.
 

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