Protective Mask
Protective Mask What are the long term effects from working on a Cobalt mine in the DRC without protective clothing/masks etc. My Husband has been working in the DRC on a Cobalt / copper mine and...
Protective Mask
Long live woodturner - get a good mask
Woodturning and carpentry are among the oldest and noblest of professions. Many carpenters are blessed with the gift of long, productive lives. This is due in part to the fact that their line of work entails a great deal of physical and mental activity, which in turn preserves the health of the body and mind over the years.
Carpentry is a creative discipline, its craftsmen are true master artisans who possess unique talents. Wood crafting requires considerable technical skill as well as creativity. Working in the woodshop requires constant attention to your work, which keeps the mind sharp and in focus. In old age especially, this mental activity promotes high brain activity and elasticity. These two elements together combat the effects of senility and dementia.
Carpenters are also always in motion: nailing, sawing, cutting, sanding, painting, polishing, etc. They have to lift and push and pull and hammer. All in all it can be tiring work! Constant physical activity keeps the muscles moving and the blood pumping. Works calories to help stave off obesity.
Carpentry is a mental and physical workout that keeps the body and mind limber. From the health perspective, modern machinery has added a detrimental element to woodworking, however. Although they permit greater speed and precision in woodwork, they add serious health concerns. Power tools are much louder than a simple hammer and nail, and motorized saws and sanders produce much more and finer dust particles than their traditional equivalents. High powered exhausts blow these tiny grains of sanddust into the air of the workshop.
Prolonged unprotected exposure to the loud noise of power tools in a closed space like a woodshop results in serious damage to the inner ear. This means severe hearing damage or total loss. Fine dust particles suspended in the air in high concentration get inhaled into the lungs, causing serious damage to the entire respiratory tract. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a finding that demonstrated the correlation between unprotected woodworking and lung disease and the risks involved. These two health concerns detract from the major benefits of working in woodturning or carpentry.
There are a number of solutions to the health risks involved with carpentry work in the modern age. Effective layout of the workshop, with proper ventilation and sound dampening equipment, can help minimize the amount of dust in the air and noise. Dust collectors and vacuum cleaners can help lower the amount of airborne particulates and clean the air you breathe. Cleanliness is close to godliness, and it also promotes a healthier work environment. Sweeping up regularly keeps the amount of sawdust to a minimum.
Most important to workplace safety and health is proper safety equipment. For the prevention of hearing damage and hearing loss, audiologists advise the use of ear plugs, ear molds, or over-the-ear protective muffs to minimize exposure to high decibel noises. When working for a long time with loud tools, wearing these protective devices keeps your ears and your hearing safe.
A protective mask is also a critical tool that a craftsman should never be without. A mask equipped with a highly effective filter that can keep microscopic particles out of the respiratory tract is essential for the well-being of every carpenter. If you can't afford to install an extrator or does not have the luxury to relay out your shop, a respiratory masks are the most cost effective and simplest way of ensuring the protection of your lungs while working in the workshop. Ones whose filter blocks the entry of most of the particulate matter in the air will better protect your lungs, resulting in a healthier, better feeling experience and greater productivity.
When searching for a personal respirator, there are three primary critiria to be taken into consideration:
• Effectivity
• Comfort
• Cost
Effectiveness is the most first critiria. There is no point to wear a protective device that only gives you a false sense of security. For example a traditional cloth mask or surgical mask is not an effective dust protection, eventhough it covers the mouth and nose. Since fine particles at submicron size can easily leak through the gaps between the mask and the face.
Comfort is underestimated by many “experts”. Safety Managers in large companies tend to emphasis on the technical specification but less sensitive on the comfort issue. On the other hand we should know that if the deive is not comfortable it doesn’t get used and is likely to be left around to collect dust.
An effective and comfortable protective device get use more and therefore the cost factor become important. For example, the cost of changing filter for a reusable respirator can add up over time to a substantial amount.
Established brands like 3M, North and Moldex provide high quality respirators. Some model with expiration valve and soft silicon shell are more comfortable than others. To ensure effectiveness you need to pass a fit-test to make sure there is no leak between the respirator and your face. One interesting new comer in this field is Totobobo mask. The unique transparent shell allows easily seal check and therefore a practicle solution for most small workshop who don't have access to fit-test facilities. It is also by far the lightest (20g) reusable respirator and likely the most comfortable out there.
No matter which solution you choose, remember that it is your lung and you need it to be clean if you want to enjoy woodwork till your silver years.
About the Author
Chuwa is a father of two. He is a product designer with 20 years of experience. He is specialized in the area of bicycle, personal protection device and green design.