Protecting your employees from nuisance-level acid gas or nuisance-level organic vapor is easy… if you know what type of specialty respirator you need. At Enviro Safety Products, we carry an extensive selection of specialty gas mask respirators for several applications, including petrochemical operations, paper processing, glass etching and foundry operations. As you browse our comprehensive catalog, you’ll also find specialty respirators that are ideal for construction, welding, lab work and even aluminum smelting, as well. If you’re not sure what you need, just call our highly trained customer service representatives at (800)637-6606; we’ll help you find the perfect specialty respirators you need right away.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires employers to provide respiratory protection for all employees exposed to breathing hazards in their workplaces. That means employers are responsible for conducting extensive research, implementing respiratory safety plans and purchasing gas mask respirators, organic vapor respirators and other necessary respiratory protection for employees.

In order to comply with 29 CFR 1910.134, OSHA’s standards for respiratory protection in the workplace, employers have to take every possible precaution when it comes to putting workers in harm’s way. Since different workplaces pose different airborne hazards, the types and levels of necessary protection will vary – just like workplaces that require different levels of fire-resistant clothing and those that require hard hats and head protection.

After conducting the appropriate air tests and determining which hazards exist in your workplace, you may decide you need to provide your employees with specialty respirators. Specialty respirators are designed to prevent the wearer from inhaling nuisance level acid gas or nuisance level organic vapors. Generally, gas mask respirators are able to filter 95 percent (or more) of airborne particles. Some vapor respirators – those with an “N" prefix – are not oil-resistant; those with a “P" designation are considered oil proof.

N95 Vapor Respirators: Applications and Uses

Many jobs require the use of N95 vapor respirators, from construction to healthcare. N95 organic vapor respirators are often used in factories, farming operations and on maintenance jobs because of their ability to block dust and small particles.

An N95 vapor respirator’s effectiveness is dependent on how well it seals to the wearer’s face. All employees should be fitted for an N95 gas mask respirator before using it in a real-world application. Employers must train employees on the proper use of specialty respirators, and that training should include:

• teaching employees to test the seal every time they use a respirator
• teaching employees how to inspect an N95 gas mask respirator for damage, dirt and contaminants
• teaching employees how to properly put on and take off a specialty respirator without breathing harmful contaminants

Please note that children and people with facial hair may not be able to get full protection from an N95 vapor respirator because they are designed to fit the average adult.

P95 Vapor Respirators: Applications and Uses

Several jobs require the use of P95 vapor respirators. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, around 5 percent of workers in the U.S. wear some type of respirator while performing their daily work operations.

P95 gas mask respirators can be used during spray painting, pesticide application and many other operations. Like with N95 vapor respirators, employees should be properly fitted prior to using P95sin a real-world situation. Also like N95s, P95 organic vapor respirators should not be used on children or those with facial hair.

Specialty Respirators from Enviro Safety Products

At Enviro Safety Products, we understand how important your employees’ safety is – and it’s our mission to keep you OSHA-compliant. We carry a wide selection of N95 and P95 gas masks and organic vapor respirators so you can find exactly what you need for your workplace.

If you aren’t sure what you need, call our knowledgeable customer service representatives at (800)637-6606. Each of our staff members has been thoroughly trained on every product in our extensive catalog and is familiar with OSHA, NIOSH and NFPA regulations as applicable to your workplace.