The correct way to wear a dust mask

Dust masks are a very important protective tool. If your work requires contact with dust, it is very important to wear a dust mask. The most direct disease that can be prevented is pneumoconiosis. Dust masks are slightly different from ordinary masks. In order to maximize their effectiveness, it is important to master the correct wearing method. So, what is the correct way to wear a dust mask? Let’s take a look below.

How to Wear

Although the structure of dust masks is simple, their use is not simple. Choosing a suitable and appropriate mask is only the first step in protection. If you want the protection to be truly effective, you must use it correctly. This not only includes wearing it according to the instructions and ensuring that the wearing position is correct each time (no leakage), but also insisting on wearing it during dust-contacting operations, promptly discovering signs of failure of the mask, and replacing it in time. The dust concentration in different dust-exposed environments is different, the usage time of each person is different, the dust holding capacity of various dust masks is different, and the usage and maintenance methods are different. These will affect the service life of the mask, so there is no way to uniformly stipulate the specific replacement time. When any part of the dust mask is damaged, broken or lost (such as nose clip, nose clip pad), and if the breathing resistance is obviously increased, the entire mask should be discarded.

Regardless of whether it is anti-virus or anti-dust, any filter element should not be washed with water, otherwise the filter element will be damaged. If you feel other discomfort during use, such as a headband that is too tight or resistance that is too high, you are not allowed to change the headband length or loosen the nose clip without authorization. You should consider choosing a more comfortable mask or other type of respirator. A good respirator is not only suitable for the user, but also should have a certain degree of comfort and durability, which is manifested in a relatively slow increase in breathing resistance (large dust holding capacity), a light mask, a headband that is not easy to loosen, a mask that is not easy to collapse, a nose clip or headband that is firmly fixed, and the selected materials have no odor and are not irritating to the skin. Usually only those workers who have used dust masks for a long time have the most experience and the most say.

How to operate

There are also some things to pay attention to when wearing a mask. Masks sold on the market are generally divided into two types: rectangular and cup-shaped. When using a rectangular mask, press the wire on the mask against the bridge of the nose, and then spread the entire mask along the bridge of the nose to make it effective.

For a cup-shaped mask to be effective, it must be dense enough when attached to the face so that exhaled air does not leak out. When wearing a cup-shaped mask, check to see if there is air leaking out from the edges of the mask. If the mask is not tight, readjust the position before wearing it again.

1. First, loosen the headband every 2-4 cm, put your hand through the mask headband, and the metal nose part faces forward.

2. Put on the mask and fit it tightly against your face. Place the upper headband of the mask behind your head, then pull the lower headband over your head and place it behind your neck, and adjust it to a comfortable position.

3. Use the fingertips of both hands to press slowly inward along the metal strip of the nose bridge from the middle to both sides until it is close to the nose bridge.

4. Cover the mask with both hands as much as possible and perform positive and negative pressure tests. (Positive pressure test: Cover the mask with both hands and exhale vigorously. If air overflows from the edge of the mask, it is not worn properly and the headband and nose bridge must be adjusted again.)