3 Must-Do's for Ensuring Effective Use of Full Facepiece Reusable Respirators

Players in industries such as heavy manufacturing, metalworking, transportation, chemical handling, mining, oil and gas understand the critical need for respiratory protection. Ultimately, protecting your people and preventing liability risks is fundamental to supporting a successful operation. And when full facepiece reusable respirators are required to manage this effort, you've got to be sure that the protective equipment is being used effectively.

Above all is the need for your respirators to adequately mitigate the safety risks caused by airborne hazards and reduce exposure to dangerous contaminants. Beyond that, it's important to ensure that your workforce has what they need to wear the protective equipment properly and comfortably. That means being able to optimally fit their respirators, breathe freely, communicate effectively and maintain workplace efficiency without being hindered by their equipment.

With those needs in mind, we're highlighting three must-do's for ensuring the effective use of your workforce's full facepiece reusable respirators.

1. Opt for a quality, next-generation full facepiece reusable respirator.

Hands down, the most important thing you can do to ensure the effectiveness of your protective equipment is to rely on a product that takes respiratory protection to the next level. You need a solution that's designed to address all of the factors mentioned above, like safety, fit, breathability, comfort and communication. It should be an innovative product that maximizes simplicity for the user.

For all these advantages and more, organizations need look no further than the 3M™ Secure Click™ Full Facepiece Respirator FF-800 Series. Designed with smart and intuitive features, this new solution helps protect workers from particulates and a wide variety of gases and vapors when used with approved 3M Secure Click filters and cartridges.

So, how does this respirator meet the mark to outperform other solutions? Let's take a look at some of its innovative features that promote easy, effective use:

  • The speaking diaphragm is designed to help provide easy communication
  • The unique filter and cartridge connection snaps into place for intuitive assembly.
  • The push-button seal check provides an easy way to conduct a (positive pressure) seal check prior to each use.
  • The exhalation valve cover helps direct exhaled breath and moisture downward.
  • The large lens helps to provide a wide view for excellent peripheral vision, and there's a Scotchgard™ protector on it for improved paint and stain resistance.
  • The comfort cradle positions the respirator more comfortably on the wearer's head, reducing pressure points and hair pulling.

The 3M™ Secure Click™ Full Facepiece Respirator FF-800 Series streamlines the process for wearers in four simple ways:

  • Hear it: Secure Click connection helps provide confidence that filters/cartridges are installed properly. Simply align the connections and push into place.
  • Feel it: Experience the breathability and comfort provided by the world's first quad-flow gas and vapor filter/combination filter systems.
  • Check it: Help increase worker confidence that the respirator is being worn properly with the easy, one-touch user seal check.
  • Say it: Utilize the speaking diaphragm to help provide easy communication.

This is the type of full facepiece reusable respiratory solution that raises the bar on safety, comfort and usability—and it's built to last. Opt for nothing less when it comes to ensuring that your workforce has what they need to ensure effective use of respiratory protection.

2. Implement proper wearing instructions.

For any full facepiece reusable respirator to function the way it was intended, it's imperative that your people follow all the steps involved in wearing it properly. They must be trained on how to implement these instructions to a tee.

With the simplicity and innovative design of the 3M™ Secure Click™ Full Facepiece Respirator FF-800 Series, wearing the equipment properly boils down to these four streamlined, straightforward steps:

  1. Fully loosen all six head straps. Hold the front of the facepiece with one hand and the straps/comfort cradle away from the facepiece with the other hand, creating an opening for the head. Pull the respirator assembly down over the head. Place the nose in the nose cup, and the chin in the chin cup area, then press the facepiece firmly and evenly against the face.
  2. While holding the facepiece in place, pull the straps over your head.
  3. Tighten the two bottom straps.
  4. Tighten the two middle straps, then the two top straps. Make sure the back of the harness is centered on the back of the head and that the straps and tabs lay flat against your head.

3. Perform a user seal check prior to each use.

Do your workers have a reliable way to confirm that their full facepiece respiratory protection is being worn properly and protecting them to the fullest extent? This is an important step in ensuring effective use.

The pushbutton seal check on the 3M™ Secure Click™ Full Facepiece Respirator FF-800 Series allows the user to conduct a pressure seal check prior to each use. This quick, easy, one-touch seal check enables wearers to feel highly confident in the respirator's fit.

Check out just how simply these pressure seal checks are performed:

  • Lightly press the seal check button until you feel resistance. Hold the button in this position and exhale (blow out). If the facepiece bulges slightly with no leaks detected between your face and the facepiece, a proper seal has been obtained.
  • If faceseal leakage is detected, reposition the respirator on your face and/or readjust the tension of the straps to eliminate the leakage and recheck the seal.
  • Care must be taken when performing the positive pressure seal check not to exhale too hard. The aim is to check the seal, not disturb the seal between the mask and the face.

It's crucial that if the wearer cannot achieve a proper fit, they avoid entering any contaminated area where proper respiratory protection is required. Without ensuring this fit via a successful user seal check, there's no way to know whether the wearer is properly protected.

For more detailed information about how the new 3M™ Secure Click™ Full Facepiece Respirator FF-800 Series can support your workplace's respiratory protection efforts, visit our product pages or reach out to our team of experts.