In recent months, most people have become quite familiar with the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks. But did you know they aren’t just for protection from illnesses, but from the dangers of asbestos, too? In an asbestos removalist’s everyday work, such equipment is a requirement.

However, it can be challenging for the average person to know the types of respirators suitable for asbestos work, and the safest measures to take. Read on to find out what your local removalist uses, and what you would use when faced with a non-friable asbestos removal task.

What is a Respirator?  

Before we get into the different types of respirators, it’s quite essential to know what a respirator is. It’s a form of PPE that you wear on your face to cover your nose and mouth (at a minimum). Their job is to reduce the risk of inhaling airborne particles of gas, dust particles, vapours, and infectious agents.

There is more than one type of respirator available:

• Particle respirators (filters out airborne particles)

• Gas masks (filters out chemicals and gases)

• Airline respirators (uses compressed air from an external source)

• Self-contained breathing apparatus (contains its own air supply)

These four types of respirators can also come with:

• Disposable or filtering face-piece respirators (non-reusable)

• Reusable or elastomeric respirators (cleanable and reusable, but with replaceable filter cartridges)

• Powered air-purifying respirators (with battery-powered blower for airflow through the filters)

What Respirator to Wear During Asbestos Removal

Those removing asbestos can wear a disposable half-face respirator, reusable half-face respirator, a full-face respirator, or a full-face powered respirator. The type of respirator you wear can depend on the work you’re carrying out. The task at hand can even dictate the type of filter you use.

P2 Filter

You can wear a P2 filter while working with non-friable asbestos. It can stop 94% of airborne particles, and you may also use it for unlicensed asbestos work.

P3 Filter

You must wear a P3 filter for licensed asbestos work, which involves friable asbestos. This type of filter can stop 99.95% of airborne particles. 

Wearing a Respirator with Glasses and/or Facial Hair

Whether you’re a homeowner removing non-friable asbestos, or an expert removalist taking care of friable and non-friable, it’s crucial to think about your facial hair and use of glasses. A beard, sideburns, and stubble can all impact a full-face seal. Glasses may also prevent the seal of a full face-piece respirator.

Therefore, anyone using any respirator for asbestos work should be clean-shaven. If you can’t wear contacts in place of your glasses, wear a positive-pressure air-supply hood instead.

Achieving the Perfect Fit with Your Asbestos Respirator

Every respirator user should enlist the services of an asbestos respirator mask fit tester to establish a perfect fit. The fit test involves making sure there is a decent seal around the respirator’s edges. A trained tester can also assess the seal between the respirator and the wearer’s face.

Many other situations may call for fit testing:

• Annual testing

• Weight loss or gain

• If a different model or size is specified

It’s also imperative that you check the fit of your asbestos respirator every time you put it on:

1. Place your hands over the mask or filters, then breathe in. Your mask should pull firmly onto your face.

2. Block the breathing-out valves and breathe out hard. The mask should bulge, but it should not leak.

3. If you notice that in step 2, the mask leaked, adjust the straps. If you still notice leaking, change to a different model or size or undergo a professional fit test.

Different Asbestos Respirators for Different Tasks

You may notice that different asbestos removal companies use different masks. That’s because WorkSafe outlines additional respirator requirements under the New Zealand Guidelines for the Management and Removal of Asbestos and New Zealand Demolition and Asbestos Association. 

When to Use a Disposable or Filter Half Face-Piece Particulate Respirator

You can use a disposable half face-piece particulate respirator or half face-piece particulate filter respirator in various situations with a P2 filter. Remember, the filter can stop 94% of airborne particles. 

These situations include:

• Creating an enclosure for undamaged asbestos materials

• Inspecting installed friable asbestos

• Sampling materials to identify asbestos

• Sawing and hand-drilling asbestos cement

• Removing non-friable asbestos, such as ceiling tiles, cement sheets, and vinyl tiles

When to Use a Full Face-Piece Filter Cartridge Respirator

Any licenced asbestos removal crew in New Zealand must wear a full face-piece particulate filter cartridge respirator while carrying out maintenance work near installed friable asbestos insulation. In this situation, you wouldn’t be directly handling the asbestos, but disturbance is a possibility.

You must also wear one if you carry out maintenance work that involves removing small amounts of friable asbestos, such as insulation or gasket replacement. These must contain a P3 filter, which stops 99.95% of airborne particles. 

When to Use a Full Face-Piece Positive-Pressure Demand Airline Respirator or Full Suit/Hood Continuous-Flow Airline Respirator

In the same situations that you could use a full face-piece filter cartridge respirator for maintenance work, you can also use a positive-pressure demand airline respirator or a full suit with hood and airflow. These, too, must also have P3 filters.

What Other PPE Must You Wear During Asbestos Removal?

Having the best-quality respirator is of the highest priority, but you must also pair it with other PPE to keep you and your team safe. Asbestos removalists are also required to wear overalls and non-laced footwear with disposable boot covers.

Overalls can either be disposable or washable. However, washable overalls must be cleaned at an approved laundry set up for asbestos-contaminated clothing. 

Leave it in the Hands of Experts

Asbestos removal is a fickle beast. While you can follow all safety precautions and remove non-friable asbestos up to 10m2, the safety requirements can be immense. Therefore, why not contact the experts and let them take care of business? 

They know the right respirators to wear, have the best PPE, and understand all WorkSafe’s requirements to handle asbestos in the safest and most appropriate way.