Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) comprises items that offer protection against health and safety hazards. These items include safety helmets, masks, aprons, visors, safety footwear etc.
The PPE we sell is intended primarily for medical purposes but PPE is widely used in other industries such as construction.
What mask should I wear to protect myself from Corona virus ?
National governments issue guidance on the use of PPE including in relation to Corona virus. The PPE recommended depends on the context is which it is used e.g. the recommendation for someone working in a hospital emergency department differs from that for a passenger using public transport.
These recommendations refer to PPE that conforms to certain international standards. As a supplier, we sell products that conform to those standards. We sell quality products that adhere to standards; health professionals and governments are the ones that tell you when and where they should be used.
Is a medical mask going to be better than one I make myself ?
Most probably yes.
Homemade masks vary a lot whereas medical masks have specific properties defined by international standards – you know where you stand and can use the correct type for what you are doing.
Homemade masks may well offer some protection against large fluid droplets (in and out such as when coughing) but are vey unlikely to protect against smaller particles or bacteria.
What types of face mask are there ?
There are, of course, many types of face masks including those individuals make themselves but here we are concerned with medical face masks. Medical face masks have been designed to meet specific standards of performance.
There are two main categories, medical masks and respirator masks with a number of sub-categories.
Broadly speaking, medical masks are loose fitting (they still need to be worn properly to be effective) and protect the wearer for relatively large air borne particles. They can also others from the wearer secretions such as saliva. Some have protection against fluid penetration too.
Respirator masks are more precisely fitted masks (i.e. care needs to be taken when putting them on to make sure there is an effective “seal”). They additionally protect from much smaller particles including fluids which are filtered out by the mask.
What are types I, II and IIR face masks ?
Types I, II and IIR are the various European Union standards applied to medical face masks in order of increasing protection.
Type II has a better level of filtration than type I.
Additionally, type IIR need to meet a specified level of protection against fluid penetration (types I and II are not required to meet fluid penetration standards).
What is the difference between a type II and a type IIR mask ?
Both masks are tested against a number of criteria set out in the European standards. In particular, they must have a Bacterial Filtration Efficiency (BFE) of 98% or more – this measures how well the mask protects against bacteria.
In addition, the type IIR masks are tested for resistance to splashes (using synthetic blood particles) and must meet the standard’s criterion (16kPa or better).
What is a 3 ply mask ?
A 3 ply mask is made up of three layers fastened together.
In medical masks, these will be made of paper or another non-woven fabric.
The outer layer repels particles (including fluids for certain masks e.g. type IIR), the middle layer is the key section that filters out bacteria, the inner layer is soft next to the skin and can absorb small amounts of fluids e.g. spit.
How long will my medical mask last ?
The masks we sell are designed for single use after which they should be disposed of.
How do FFP2, KN95 and N95 masks compare ?
These are standards applied to respirator masks.
FFP2 is a European standard, KN95 a Chinese standard and N95 a USA standard.
These are approximately equivalent standards but do differ somewhat in specific testing requirements.
What are FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 masks ?
These are different grades of respirator masks in ascending order of protection. FFP stands for Filtering Face Piece.
The FFPn classification relates to the categories within the European standard against which the masks are tested.
What does FFP mean ?
The abbreviation FFP stands for Filtering Face Piece. It is mainly used to describe respirator style face masks, FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3 under EN149 tests. The higher the number the greater the filtration. FFP2 (N95) >95% and FFP3 (N99) >99%. Sometimes however please say “3 Ply FFP2”, what they really mean is EN14683 Type II which is a three ply face mask with a filtration >95%. The terminology just gets confused.
What does FFP3 stand for ?
FFP3 stands for Filtering face piece level 3, it is the highest level in face mask filtration. In Europe is is known as FFP3, in the USA and other countries it is called N99. The filtration level is 99%, they are designed to fit extremely well to your face, usually with fully adjustable head straps and a mask that can be shaped well.
What is EN14683 ?
This is the reference number of the European Standard for face masks (the current version at the time of writing is EN 14683:2019+AC:2019). This specifies what performance characteristics a mask must have.
The standard document specifies the, “construction, design, performance requirements and test methods for medical face masks intended to limit the transmission of infective agents from staff to patients during surgical procedures and other medical settings with similar requirements. A medical face mask with an appropriate microbial barrier can also be effective in reducing the emission of infective agents from the nose and mouth of an asymptomatic carrier or a patient with clinical symptoms.”
What about other mask models offered on the Internet ?
Other models of mask are available on the Internet. You should be wary of models prevalent on the Internet containing one or more vertical seams down the nose, mouth and chin areas. This solution was not chosen by the experts when writing the Spec (risk of leakage via the seam).
Who might wear a “barrier mask” ?
The “barrier mask” device is intended to complement protective measures and social distancing rules. It is intended for the general public and in particular any healthy or asymptomatic person. The barrier mask in no way exonerates the user from routine application of the protective measures, which are essential, and of the social distancing rules intended to fight viral infections. This device is not intended to be used by health workers in contact with patients. FFP2 type filtering masks and masks for medical (or surgical) use are intended to be used by health workers.
Do the barrier masks offer the same protection as FFP2 masks/surgical masks ?
No, they are different masks. An FFP mask is a protective respiratory device (standard NF EN 149). It is intended to protect the wearer against inhalation of droplets and particles suspended in the air that could contain infectious agents. Wearing this type of mask is more restrictive (thermal discomfort, breathing resistance) than a surgical mask.
There are three categories of FFP masks classed according to their effectiveness (estimated based on the effectiveness of the filter and leakage around the face). These are:
FFP1 masks filtering at least 80% of aerosols (total inward leakage < 22%). FFP2 masks filtering at least 94% of aerosols (total inward leakage < 8%). FFP3 masks filtering at least 99% of aerosols (total inward leakage < 2%).
A surgical mask is a medical device (standard NF EN 14683). It is intended to prevent the outward projection of droplets produced by the person wearing the mask. It also protects the wearer against the projection of droplets produced by another person. On the other hand, it does not protect against inhalation of very small particles suspended in the air. There are three mask types:
Type I: bacterial filtration efficiency > 95%. Type II: bacterial filtration efficiency > 98%. Type IIR: bacterial filtration efficiency > 98% and splash-resistant.
Barrier masks do not have the same performance as FFP2s. Organizations will have to assess whether these substitutes are appropriate to the risks incurred at workstations. People must adjust these masks over the nose and under the chin and comply with the same hygiene measures as for other masks.
