Dust masks kept in draw with dust in it
There were none that didn’t have dust in them.
There all in the bin.
We don’t have any dust masks now
Couldn’t clean them? Was it that bad?
If they are not salvageable at all I’ll place an order
We should have a sturdy sealable bag to keep them in maybe?
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Should we keep the dust masks outside the woodshop? In a box on the wall by the door for example?
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For the record, none of these are dust masks: they are irritation masks, good for keeping grass cuttings out your mouth and that’s about it. It has been on my mind to consider getting some IP2/3 masks in to the shop for a while, although in the intro woodworking session we encourage members who are doing lots of sanding to bring their own. Point well raised and I will look at getting more ordered so there is a supply in the shop.
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FFP3 are the only ones actually suitable for MDF on occasional use
There where only a few masks in the boxes, most where out in the draw. But the draws full of dust and there was dust inside all the masks.
Didn’t seem possible to clean.
Are there good single use masks on the market? I haven’t researched enough.
Can we buy good quality multiuse ones and share them? Probably no I’m guessing but again haven’t researched.
Maybe to pass your woodshop induction you have to buy a woodtech approved mask? Screwfix do excellent multi use ones for around £30. They have changeable filters and indicates when you need to change.
The ones you photographed are kind of single use, but sounds like they were FFP1/2.
Reusable respirator masks with changeable filters make more sense however there is an issue about spreading colds through shared use.
I wonder if it really makes sense for Makerspace to provide these, reusable masks are really for personal use, and single use one are very expensive for a consumable.
Perhaps members should be expected to buy them at cost from Makerspace just as they buy materials for the laser cutter?
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Not single use are not suitable for a shared space, they get dirty inside even with regular cleaning g, let alone if someone use it and don’t clean it, we will try to get the best compromise and strongly encourage people getting their own ones.
At that point if a member is getting his own one is entirely up to him what to buy!
a good quality single use mask is a good enough general ppe.
We will look in to it and get the best compromise.
Nice idea but there are waaaay to many urgent matters to take care of before setting a supply shop for the wood area!
Surely in the future!
I think this is the best idea!
To be honest there are few more dust sensitive stuff so may be worth to think about a dust proof little cupboard for masks, the calipers and other things!
We may need a wormhole to access another dimension to fit it in tho!
Just saying, a paper mask can usually be brought back to life with a good spray of compressed air!
This is not a criticism to @boldaslove!!! Just a tip for next time!
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Where did you get this data?
A lot of reading around a couple years ago. I don’t have a specific source I’m afraid.
Problem is also that it’s hard to get information about this because some places are overly cautious because of liabilities, or up selling while other people argue that people are more likely to wear lower FFP masks because it’s easier to breath even if it doesn’t offer full protection.
Basically FFP2 will do but really you should use FFP3 was the general gist I took away from the reading.
That said you shouldn’t need a dust mask as that is a control measure of last resort, like Air filtering. Ideally the LEV should work properly and mitigate how much dust goes into the air so you don’t need a mask.
For dust mask free working we would need dust extraction on every tool, including hand routers, jigsaws, etc. I think we should get a proper tube and adapters to fit on the extract outlet near the benches, it would make stuff like routing much much less messy and safer for everyone.
Or otherwise also recommend buying personal masks. MDF dust is nasty stuff and recognised as causing cancer
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General briefing on dust masks at work (operational environment, very keen on RPE and we’re closely monitored on it): FP3 for fumes and fine dust - which as already pointed out covers MDF as well - if you have more than 2mm of facial hair then conventional masks are largely ineffective, so in that case wear a full face respirator.
Obviously this is impractical for a hobby space like ours, so best option is concentrating on minimising dust in the first place, keeping the filter and extraction systems working as best as possible and look to box in the extraction system with more filters for collection of fines in the future.
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Sounds good, what do we need to do immediately to keep us all healthy and safe?
We can buy dust masks immediately, disposable or otherwise, and look at practicality of full face respirators. MDF is an issue of concern: can it be safely worked on in our workshop? Some spaces now don’t allow it at all.
Writing your name on a disposable dust/vapour mask and keeping it, is definitely the least wasteful way of using them.
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