topic Re: N95 Mask Fit Test in Community Chat

N95 Mask Fit Test

Anonymous032819 — Tue, 12 May 2020 02:47:05 GMT

At my job we must wear masks.

We are given a new mask every single day.

We are given the choice between wearing the surgical mask, or the N95 mask.

Most, including me, choose the surgical.

But, prior to wearing the N95 mask, we were required to watch a video on how to be fitted for it.

Full disclosure, we have not gone through the fit test.

Here's a video of how to be properly fitted for a N95 mask.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PthSES4O9d8https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PthSES4O9d8

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

Kachina624 — Tue, 12 May 2020 02:52:39 GMT

I thought the N95 masks were to be reserved for medical professionals working with CoVi19 patients. They've asked people to donate any they're able to get.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

hopi — Tue, 12 May 2020 02:59:46 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I thought the N95 masks were to be reserved for medical professionals working with CoVi19 patients. They've asked people to donate any they're able to get.

Saw in Arizona masks are N95 are now being made in US

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

Anonymous032819 — Tue, 12 May 2020 03:01:07 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I thought the N95 masks were to be reserved for medical professionals working with CoVi19 patients. They've asked people to donate any they're able to get.

My company has been made aware of that request, but people way up higher the ladder, who make way more money than I do, have decided that since we work with the public, we also could use the N95s.

It's way out of my hands.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

Kachina624 — Tue, 12 May 2020 03:42:58 GMT

@Anonymous032819 @hopi Maybe the situation has changed if they're being made in the US and are more available.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

sunshine45 — Tue, 12 May 2020 03:44:43 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Anonymous032819 @hopi Maybe the situation has changed if they're being made in the US and are more available.

my daughter works in a healthcare facility and they do not have enough of the N95 masks at this time. back when this first began to hit, they did not even have enough regular masks and gowns.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

MorningLover — Tue, 12 May 2020 04:55:08 GMT

Found this article ..here's a bit of it...

March 30

Honeywell announced that it is adding manufacturing capabilities in Phoenix to produce N95 face masks in support of the U.S. government’s response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The company’s Phoenix expansion, coupled with previously announced new production in Rhode Island, will allow Honeywell to produce more than 20 million N95 disposable masks monthly to combat COVID-19 in the U.S.

“We at Honeywell are proud of our role in providing essential equipment to the first responders and medical professionals we are relying on during this crisis,” said Darius Adamczyk, Honeywell chairman and chief executive officer. “We have moved quickly to expand our production capacity for N95 masks globally and are pleased to announce our second new U.S. manufacturing line to supply the Strategic National Stockpile.”

Honeywell anticipates that the new mask production line in Phoenix will create more than 500 new jobs in Arizona. The company has already begun recruiting, hiring and training manufacturing workers on the site. Today’s announcement brings the total number of U.S. jobs created by Honeywell’s new mask manufacturing capabilities to more than 1,000.

The N95 face masks will be delivered to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to contribute to the American stockpile for use to support health, safety and emergency response workers. The Phoenix facility will prioritize fulfilling the U.S. government’s procurement, but it will also have the capacity to produce face masks for U.S. states and American healthcare and emergency response organizations.

Honeywell’s production expansion will also support additional American businesses, including industrial equipment providers and raw materials suppliers. The company is collaborating with state and local officials to ramp up production efforts and support hiring and training.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

stuyvesant — Tue, 12 May 2020 03:55:20 GMT

Very dangerous information, lol.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

Snowpuppy — Tue, 12 May 2020 04:10:38 GMT

That video describes a respirator fit test. Respirators must be properly fitted by someone who is trained. You don't need a fit test for N 95.

Respirators are worn by those who do hazardous material removal such as asbestos and lead paint. When I was in college I had a pt job getting bids for this type of testing.

The video is for UK standards.

Ppl getting crazier by the day.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

stuyvesant — Tue, 12 May 2020 04:24:40 GMT

This is from the CDC. See the section about "fit under fire."

https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2020/03/16/n95-preparedness/

Don't want to access it? I don't blame you. It basically says it's a pandemic, folks.

Hundreds of millions of people around the world wear N95 masks.

They figured it out, so will we when we get a chance to purchase them.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

pitdakota — Tue, 12 May 2020 04:24:56 GMT

There was a company in Ft. Worth Texas that offered to make N95 masks for the government in late Jan. and was turned down. He had the capacity to make somewhere over 1.5 million masks per week. I think I read somewhere that this company is going to go ahead and retool their lines now to produce N95 masks. Can't remember where I read or heard that, but maybe he went ahead and decided to manufacture them since they are still needed by our health care professionals.

There are still health care agencies that need the N95s. Several of our hospitals have set up mobile hydrogen peroxide sterilization units to sterilized used N95 masks for the nurses and doctors. And other places still need them. Especially long term care facilities. Those long term care facilities don't have the finances to contract a company to come in and set up the truck to sterilize the masks.

@Anonymous032819, if I remember correctly, your job is a federal positon? If in that job you would need to wear that mask for prolonged periods of time at work, I don't know that I would recommend the N95.

There are other nurses that post here and they can chime in, but they are tight if you are fit tested and can be very uncomfortable. And when working in them, I can attest that it takes a bit of getting used to. They are tight, hot, and sometimes hard to breathe....especially if you are moving around quite a bit with work. It is one thing to wear one for a short trip to the grocery store, but a totally different story to wear them for continuous hours at work.

So I would think the surgical mask would be a more comfortable option for a work situation. Just remember you still need to maintain a physical distance from other people if you are wearing a surgical mask. However, if you are coming into contact with many members of the public a surgical mask will not protect you. Is there a way you could get both? lol

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

Anonymous032819 — Tue, 12 May 2020 04:28:27 GMT

@Snowpuppy wrote:
That video describes a respirator fit test. Respirators must be properly fitted by someone who is trained. You don't need a fit test for N 95.

Respirators are worn by those who do hazardous material removal such as asbestos and lead paint. When I was in college I had a pt job getting bids for this type of testing.

The video is for UK standards.

Ppl getting crazier by the day.

Yes, the video was made in the UK, but the fit test is exactly the same, and at work, we are required to watch a video that shows the same exact fit test.

Here's another video that shows the same fit test for the N95 mask.

Not respirator.

Mask.

Oh, and the video was made in the good 'ol U.S.A.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wulG-l2KiFohttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wulG-l2KiFo

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

pitdakota — Tue, 12 May 2020 04:45:33 GMT

@Anonymous032819 wrote:
@Snowpuppy wrote:
That video describes a respirator fit test. Respirators must be properly fitted by someone who is trained. You don't need a fit test for N 95.

Respirators are worn by those who do hazardous material removal such as asbestos and lead paint. When I was in college I had a pt job getting bids for this type of testing.

The video is for UK standards.

Ppl getting crazier by the day.

Yes, the video was made in the UK, but the fit test is exactly the same, and at work, we are required to watch a video that shows the same exact fit test.

Here's another video that shows the same fit test for the N95 mask.

Not respirator.

Mask.

Oh, and the video was made in the good 'ol U.S.A.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wulG-l2KiFohttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wulG-l2KiFo

_____________________________________________________

Actually @Anonymous032819, that is not really a very good training video as it has several mistakes. But it gives the general information.

But all N95s are respirator masks. The information that they are not is incorrect. They are technically referred to as N95 respirator masks or just N95s for short.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

Anonymous032819 — Tue, 12 May 2020 05:38:20 GMT

@pitdakota wrote:
@Anonymous032819 wrote:
@Snowpuppy wrote:
That video describes a respirator fit test. Respirators must be properly fitted by someone who is trained. You don't need a fit test for N 95.

Respirators are worn by those who do hazardous material removal such as asbestos and lead paint. When I was in college I had a pt job getting bids for this type of testing.

The video is for UK standards.

Ppl getting crazier by the day.

Yes, the video was made in the UK, but the fit test is exactly the same, and at work, we are required to watch a video that shows the same exact fit test.

Here's another video that shows the same fit test for the N95 mask.

Not respirator.

Mask.

Oh, and the video was made in the good 'ol U.S.A.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wulG-l2KiFohttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wulG-l2KiFo
_____________________________________________________

Actually @Anonymous032819, that is not really a very good training video as it has several mistakes. But it gives the general information.

But all N95s are respirator masks. The information that they are not is incorrect. They are technically referred to as N95 respirator masks or just N95s for short.

I'm not going to go chasing down videos, that show the same thing over and over again, just to find one that you approve of.

The one thing that these two videos have in common is to be properly fitted for a mask that carries the N95 mark on it, and for it to be the most effective, a fit test has to be done, which includes donning of the hood, where an atomizer is used to spray a fine must inside to see if you can taste it.

Next step is to have the person put on their mask that says N95 on it, and to put the hood back on, where a second atomizer is used to spray another fine must in to the hood, while the wearer moves their head side to side, up and down, bend at the waist, and read out loud.

We had to watch a video demonstrating this test where I work.

What part of that are you having a problem understanding?

Also, the masks that we can wear had the N95 on them.

Is that also understandable?

I just thought that I would impart some knowledge on how a fit test for the N95 was done.

But hey, if people would rather not know, and learn then that's not my problem.

I tried.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

germanshepherdlove — Tue, 12 May 2020 07:34:08 GMT

@Anonymous032819 or @pitdakota How are surgical masks different from the face masks that qvc is selling. I have never held a surgical mask in my hand to do a comparison. I realize that qvc is saying theirs are not medical quality but what is the difference since they look similar. Thanks.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

Anonymous032819 — Tue, 12 May 2020 13:26:48 GMT

@germanshepherdlove wrote:
@Anonymous032819 or @pitdakota How are surgical masks different from the face masks that qvc is selling. I have never held a surgical mask in my hand to do a comparison. I realize that qvc is saying theirs are not medical quality but what is the difference since they look similar. Thanks.

@germanshepherdlove

It's no different really.

It's blue on one side, white on the other, has accordion folds on it, and it has loops that go around your ears.

They're just called "surgical" , even though they're not relly.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

Anonymous032819 — Tue, 12 May 2020 13:29:59 GMT

Here's the other kind of mask that we can wear.

In the picture you'll notice that it has the N95 on it, as well as NIOSH.

It is for this mask that we had to watch a video on a fit test before we could wear.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

CrazyDaisy — Tue, 12 May 2020 13:44:05 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I thought the N95 masks were to be reserved for medical professionals working with CoVi19 patients. They've asked people to donate any they're able to get.

Availability of N95 masks have greatly improved and they are available.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

reiki604 — Tue, 12 May 2020 13:53:49 GMT

@Anonymous032819 wrote:
Here's the other kind of mask that we can wear.

In the picture you'll notice that it has the N95 on it, as well as NIOSH.

It is for this mask that we had to watch a video on a fit test before we could wear.

I used to do the fit testing for this mask for my staff to ensure a proper fit and application of the mask. The atomizer that is sprayed into the hood tastes like sweet and low so it's really vile and encourages the wearer to get a tight fit on the first attempt. This mask is difficult to wear for an entire shift as evidenced by the piictures of the health care providers with marks on their faces at the end of the day.

The difference between medical grade masks and non medical is their air permeability and degree of waterproofness(?). Wearing a shield protects the eyes but is pretty worthless in protecting the mouth and nose.

Re: N95 Mask Fit Test

MorningLover — Tue, 12 May 2020 14:16:15 GMT

Mask standards can be confusing: N95, KN95, FFP1, P2, or surgical mask? This quick run-down covers mask types, mask ratings, and their effectiveness at filtering particles.

First off, start with mask types (or certification types). In general, there are 3 (or sometimes 4) types of commonly used, disposable masks. They are single-use face masks, surgical masks, and respirators.

Mask Standards and Effectiveness Bottom Line

Single use masks (normally one layer, very thin) are typically only effective at capturing larger dust particles, but can do so fairly well.
Surgical mask standards have higher requirements for capturing virus-sized (0.1 micron) particles, however they vary by region.
Pollution masks (respirators) typically capture >90% of virus-sized particles. You can use the rating system in the table above to see the exact proportion each certification requires. This includes ratings such as N95, KN95, FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3.

Mask Standards Vary by Country

Each country has their own certification standard for each mask type. For example, Europe uses the EN 14683 standard for surgical masks, whereas China uses the YY 0469 standard. Each standard varies a little by country, however they are broadly similar. For respirator masks, China uses the KN standard (e.g. KN95) and the US uses the N standard (e.g. N95).

Requirements Are Lowest for Single Use Face Masks

The standard with the lowest requirements on filtration effectiveness are the single use face masks (not to be confused with surgical masks). Surgical masks have higher requirements, and respirators have the highest requirements. Respirators also usually fit tighter around the face (data shows they score higher on fit effectiveness) than surgical masks and single-use face masks.

There's so much you can find online if you have the time. Here's more from the article I posted if anyone wants to read it..

https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/comparison-mask-standards-rating-effectiveness/