Dust mask
Encyclopedia
A dust mask is a flexible pad held over the nose and mouth by elastic or rubber straps to protect against dust
s encountered during construction
or cleaning activities, such as dusts from drywall
, concrete
, wood
, fiberglass
, silica (from ceramic
or glass
production), or sweeping
. A dust mask is worn in the same fashion as a paint mask
or surgical mask
, but it is dangerous to confuse the three because they each protect against specific airborne dangers. Using the wrong mask for a job can present a significant and possibly deadly danger as many dust masks with widely varied levels of protection may look similar, and even masks that do not protect against dust at all, such as paint mask
s and surgical mask
s may look similar to dust masks. Misfitting masks are also a danger as they allow material to bypass the mask entirely. A correct fit may not be as critical in masks that are intended to protect against splattering liquids or mist
s. Dust masks are manufactured to protect against only certain dangers, and do not protect against chemicals such as vapors
and mist
s. For this reason, it is dangerous to confuse dust masks with paint mask
s.
Dust masks are a cheaper, lighter, and possibly more comfortable alternative to respirators, but may not provide as much protection, and may be more susceptible to misuse or poor fit.
Some dust masks include improvements such as having two straps behind the head (one upper and one lower), having a strip of aluminum on the outside across the bridge of the nose that can be bent for a custom fit, and having a strip of foam rubber on the inside across the bridge of the nose to ensure a good seal even if the aluminum on the outside does not fit.
Dust masks that incorporate these improvements into their design often receive the NIOSH N95 rating, which is indicated by the letters "N95" being printed directly on the mask, and are often the required rating for masks used by construction worker
s working around non-poisonous dusts.
Dust
Dust consists of particles in the atmosphere that arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind , volcanic eruptions, and pollution...
s encountered during construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
or cleaning activities, such as dusts from drywall
Drywall
Drywall, also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board is a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper...
, concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
, silica (from ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
or glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
production), or sweeping
Broom
A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. It is thus a variety of brush with a long handle. It is commonly used in combination with a dustpan....
. A dust mask is worn in the same fashion as a paint mask
Paint mask
A paint mask is a flexible pad held over the nose and mouth by elastic or rubber straps to protect against paint mists or vapors. A paint mask is worn in the same fashion as a dust mask or surgical mask, but it is dangerous to confuse the three because they each protect against specific airborne...
or surgical mask
Surgical mask
A surgical mask also known as a procedure mask is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and at other times to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose....
, but it is dangerous to confuse the three because they each protect against specific airborne dangers. Using the wrong mask for a job can present a significant and possibly deadly danger as many dust masks with widely varied levels of protection may look similar, and even masks that do not protect against dust at all, such as paint mask
Paint mask
A paint mask is a flexible pad held over the nose and mouth by elastic or rubber straps to protect against paint mists or vapors. A paint mask is worn in the same fashion as a dust mask or surgical mask, but it is dangerous to confuse the three because they each protect against specific airborne...
s and surgical mask
Surgical mask
A surgical mask also known as a procedure mask is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and at other times to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose....
s may look similar to dust masks. Misfitting masks are also a danger as they allow material to bypass the mask entirely. A correct fit may not be as critical in masks that are intended to protect against splattering liquids or mist
Mist
Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...
s. Dust masks are manufactured to protect against only certain dangers, and do not protect against chemicals such as vapors
Vapors
Vapors may be:* Vapor, the gaseous state of matter* Vapors , an archaic term for certain mental and/or physical illnesses...
and mist
Mist
Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the...
s. For this reason, it is dangerous to confuse dust masks with paint mask
Paint mask
A paint mask is a flexible pad held over the nose and mouth by elastic or rubber straps to protect against paint mists or vapors. A paint mask is worn in the same fashion as a dust mask or surgical mask, but it is dangerous to confuse the three because they each protect against specific airborne...
s.
Dust masks are a cheaper, lighter, and possibly more comfortable alternative to respirators, but may not provide as much protection, and may be more susceptible to misuse or poor fit.
Some dust masks include improvements such as having two straps behind the head (one upper and one lower), having a strip of aluminum on the outside across the bridge of the nose that can be bent for a custom fit, and having a strip of foam rubber on the inside across the bridge of the nose to ensure a good seal even if the aluminum on the outside does not fit.
Dust masks that incorporate these improvements into their design often receive the NIOSH N95 rating, which is indicated by the letters "N95" being printed directly on the mask, and are often the required rating for masks used by construction worker
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
s working around non-poisonous dusts.