Your Dust Mask- Question of the Week

August 1, 2007 | Filed Under Blog, Question of the Week 

This week’s question comes from Tom. He writes:

Did FWW require you to wear the respirator? I wear one as needed but not for every operation. I don’t recall seeing you wear it in previous episodes. Norm doesn’t regularly wear one. Just curious.

And here was my reply:

“Hey Tom. I wear my respirator just about any time I make dust. I never wear a dust mask simply because the respirator is more comfortable and much more effective at keeping the dust out of my lungs. A dust mask would be fine for most people in most situations. I just find the full respirator to be much more comfortable over long periods of time. It may be overkill at times, but there’s nothing wrong with a little overkill when it comes to your lungs. :) And one quick bit of advice: I definitely wouldn’t use woodworkers on TV as a model for your personal safety habits. I recommend doing your research and deciding for yourself how much protection is necessary. I tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac and I think my safety habits tend to reflect that.”



Comments

4 Responses to “Your Dust Mask- Question of the Week”

  1. Mike in St. Paul on August 1st, 2007 8:28 pm

    Marc - Having seen all of your podcasts and listening to WoodTalkOnline, I can honestly say your commitment to safety is great, and well ahead of most woodworkers on TV or in the media. You can be seen wearing the respirator in many of your podcasts, in addition to other safety steps. (Can’t say as I’ve ever see you “remove guard for clarity” like many other media types.) I also admire that the times you explain why you are or aren’t doing a certain thing with regards to safety (like why wearing a respirator may be overkill but is good, or why your wore gloves the one time to use the jointer).

    Thanks for your commitment to your own safety, as well as ours! You definitely practice what you preach. :-)

    And remember, Marc, there is no more important safety rule than to wear these, safety glasses! :-D

    Mike

  2. David Brown on September 11th, 2007 6:02 am

    Marc,

    Can you recommend a respirator for comfort? I worry they might be uncomfortable or cause safety glasses (or regular glasses) to fog up. I always wear hearing and eye protection, but I’ve not started with the lung protection and would like to find an effective, but most importantly, comfortable, solution. Thanks for any advice.

    –Dave

  3. thewoodwhisperer on September 11th, 2007 7:13 am

    Sure thing Dave. This is the one I recommend and use:
    http://thewoodwhisperer.com/store/shop.php

    Very comfortable and no fog because the exhaust is downward.

  4. Steve on November 14th, 2007 6:27 pm

    A few things I learned about respirators in my 14 year tour as the safety guy when I worked in construction and manufacturing.

    1. Throw away the little paper dust masks, they are pretty worthless.

    2. Get a respirator with replacable filters, get replacement filters, replace them as the manufacturer recommends and store all in an airtight bag when not in use.

    3. Use the right filter for the job. A good filter for dust is not going to do anything but make you feel good in the finishing room or under the welding hood.

    4. If you buy from a company with a service rep, you can actually get a respirator that fits your really well. The rep can show you how to use and maintain it and might even be able to give you a respirator physical. Good respirators come in different shapes just like our faces, and the right shapes fits best, no leaks. Respirators work best on a clean shaven face. (Sorry Marc)

    5. Do you smoke or have any known (or unknown) cardio/pulmonary problems? OSHA requires a respirator physical. It might not be a bad idea if you’re older, have health issues or plan to wear the respirator for long periods of time. You can consider an airsupplied respirator (my favorite) especially if your shop environment is hot or really dusty.

    It’s been 8 years since I last lived that life, some details may have changed a bit.

    Steve

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