However, the things your CBRN and NBC-rated masks protect against can often cause severe pain and discomfort to the skin. What makes these masks work effectively, along with the filter, is that they create a seal around the entire face, protecting both the lungs and eyes, something a half-mask can’t do. These agents are known to induce intense vomiting, nerve pain, welts on the skin, severe headaches, blindness, and the list goes on. These gases, often used by terrorists, can kill or leave you wishing you were dead. CBRN/NBC Gas MasksĬBRN, used by our military, and NBC gas masks, protects against some awful things, chemicals, biological, radiological (not offered with NBC masks), and nuclear agents. And no matter which type of face mask you select, they should all do one thing, give you clean air so you can breathe safely. Then there are time-based masks, masks that act as temporary/immediate protection, and some masks that can be worn for an entire day before changing out the filters (depending on the filter capacity and concentration of contamination). Some masks blow clean air into your mask, basically a gas mask, but making it easier to breathe. There are full-face masks that filter air against CBRN or NBC agents. There are respirator masks that work with a tank so you can breathe in clean oxygen during a fire. There are a variety of full-face masks on the market. Doesn’t protect against chemicals and vaporsįull-Face Masks Photo Credit: Clandestine Media Group.Typically more comfortable than full-coverage masks.While the N-95 mask is also a NIOSH rating, it is NIOSH’s base level. ![]() The difference between the N-95 and P-100/R-99 masks is that N-95 only filters out 95% of particles, and it’s not oil-proof or even resistant to oils. The same concept applies to the R-99, it is only resistant up to a certain point, and once that point is passed, your mask could get damaged and become ineffective. However, there’s usually a note that says something such as “water-resistant up to 100 meters.” This means, once you reach 101 meters, your watch is no longer resistant to the damages caused by water, and your watch could get ruined. You can take the watch into the water if you’d like. Think of it like a water-resistant watch. Resistant means it’s effective until a certain point, and then the resistance part is useless and will start absorbing those oils. Notice, this is different than P-100, which is oil-proof. You probably don’t hear about this one too often, but R-99 is an oil-resistant mask and filters out 99% of airborne particles. So while it is the highest rating given by NIOSH, it definitely won’t protect you against vapors or CBRN agents. It also doesn’t protect your eyes from those harmful particles. If your mask is rated P-100, then it is rated to filter out 99.97% of all airborne particles and is oil-proof.Ĭontrary to its name, it does not filter out 100% of all particles. What are particulates? Particulates are airborne particles, such as infectious agents. There are plenty of fake companies coming out and pretending to manufacture N-95 masks since they are in such high demand. Note: Please be careful if you’re buying some of these masks listed below, particularly N-95 masks. There’s a reason particulate respirators or masks are cheaper, and that’s because they only filter particulates. It’s much cheaper than buying a full-face gas mask when you’re only trying to protect yourself from a bit of dust while cleaning out granny’s basement. For instance, a half-mask, depending on what your filter is rated for, could be suitable for filtering out asbestos, spraying insulation, construction, etc. ![]() However, if you need to ward off different particles that are only spread through breathing in air, then a half mask will be just fine. ![]() A half-mask won’t stop anything that can seep in through the sensitive membranes of your eyes because they only cover your nose and mouth. Even though a half mask is considerably cheaper, it doesn’t protect against things like radiological warfare. For instance, if you’re anticipating a nuclear war, a half mask isn’t going to do you much good. ![]() Well, benefits depend on your specific needs. What’s a half mask, and what are the advantages of partial protection. Do you need a full-face gas mask when you’re doing construction (probably not)? Will a half-mask protect you from chemical warfare (I’m going to ruin this one early, too, no)? In this blog, I’ll discuss the various options and what level of protection they can provide you, so keep reading! Photo Credit: Clandestine Media Group Half Masks But which one is the right one for you? Today I’m going to cover half-masks and full-face gas masks/respirators and why you’d pick one over the other. There are a variety of respirators/masks on the market.
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