Respiratory Protection
Respiratory protection plays an important role in protecting workers from airborne hazards that aren’t always visible or immediately obvious, dusts, fumes, mists, gases, and vapors that can cause both immediate and long-term harm. The right respiratory protection keeps contaminated air out of a worker’s breathing zone while still letting them do the job comfortably enough to wear it consistently, for a full shift, not just when someone’s watching.
Sales Solutions Inc. represents leading manufacturers of respiratory protection products for construction, industrial, utility, and other workplace safety applications. Our offerings include disposable and filtering facepiece respirators, reusable half-mask and full-face respirators, and powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) systems. SSI works with distributors and end users throughout our territory to introduce products for their applications and provide knowledgeable sales and product support.
Respiratory Protection for Workplace Safety
Airborne hazards are among the harder risks to manage on a jobsite because they’re often invisible, odorless, or slow to show their effects. Dusts from cutting and grinding, fumes from welding, solvent vapors, and mold or particulate exposure can all cause respiratory harm well before a worker notices a problem, which is why respiratory protection has to be selected based on the actual contaminant and exposure level, not guessed at.
Respiratory needs vary widely by task and environment. A worker doing occasional light dust work may only need a disposable filtering facepiece respirator, while someone working with solvents, welding fumes, or in a confined space with limited ventilation may need a reusable half-mask or full-face respirator with the correct cartridge, or a powered air-purifying system that supplies filtered air continuously. Understanding the contaminant, its concentration, and how long a worker will be exposed is the starting point for selecting the right level of protection, and OSHA’s respiratory protection standard sets specific requirements for how that selection process, along with fit testing and medical evaluation, has to work.
Respiratory Protection Products
Respiratory protection equipment is available in a range of configurations designed for different contaminants and exposure levels. SSI represents products across disposable and filtering facepiece respirators, half-mask respirators, full-face respirators, and powered air-purifying respirators.
Disposable & Filtering Facepiece Respirators
Disposable respirators, commonly N95 and similar filtering facepiece styles, are designed for light-duty, intermittent exposure to particulates like dust and non-toxic nuisance aerosols. They’re a low-cost, easy option for lower-risk tasks, but they’re not rated for gases, vapors, or oil-based particulates without the correct filter class, and they still require proper fit to be effective.
Half-Mask Respirators
Half-mask respirators cover the nose and mouth and use replaceable cartridges or filters, making them reusable and adaptable to different hazards depending on which cartridge is installed. They’re a common choice for tasks involving moderate exposure to dusts, mists, or certain vapors where eye protection isn’t also required from the respirator itself.
Full-Face Respirators
Full-face respirators add eye and face protection to the same filtering capability as a half-mask, which matters when the contaminant is also an eye irritant or when a full facial seal improves protection against higher concentrations. They’re typically specified for more demanding environments or when a worker also needs anti-fog eye protection built into the same piece of equipment.
Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPR)
PAPR systems use a battery-powered fan to pull air through filters and deliver it to a facepiece, loose-fitting hood, or helmet under positive pressure, which reduces the physical effort of breathing through a filter and helps prevent outside air from leaking in around the seal. They’re often the right call for hot, physically demanding, or long-duration work where a standard filtering respirator would be exhausting to wear for an entire shift.
Respiratory Protection Manufacturers
SSI represents manufacturers that provide respiratory protection products for a wide range of workplace applications, including Sundström.
Sundström
Sundström has manufactured respiratory protection equipment for over a century and builds its half-mask and full-face respirators around a fairly specific problem: a respirator only protects a worker if it’s actually worn correctly for the full duration of the task, and comfort is a big part of whether that happens. The SR 100 half-mask and SR 200 full-face respirator are both molded from a single piece of soft silicone rather than harder plastics, which helps the mask conform to different face shapes and reduces pressure points during long wear. Both masks use twin exhalation valves specifically to keep exhalation resistance low, a design choice aimed at reducing breathing effort and fatigue over a full shift rather than just meeting the minimum standard. The two mask styles also share the same filter, valve, and harness system, so a facility standardizing on Sundström can stock one set of cartridges across half-mask and full-face users instead of two incompatible product lines. For higher-exertion or longer-duration work, Sundström’s SR 500 and SR 700 PAPR systems pair a belt-mounted, battery-powered fan with the same filter range, supplying filtered air under positive pressure so the worker isn’t pulling air through a filter with their own lungs. All of Sundström’s respirators sold in the US are NIOSH-approved under 42 CFR Part 84.
Choosing the Right Respiratory Protection Equipment
Selecting the right respiratory protection starts with identifying the specific contaminant, its concentration, and how long a worker will be exposed to it, information that typically comes from an industrial hygiene assessment or exposure monitoring rather than a guess. Important considerations include whether the hazard is particulate, gas or vapor, or a combination, whether the environment has adequate oxygen, and whether the task is physically demanding enough that breathing resistance and heat buildup become their own problem.
A disposable filtering facepiece may be sufficient for light, intermittent dust exposure, but tasks involving vapors, higher concentrations, or extended wear generally call for a reusable half-mask or full-face respirator with the correct cartridge, or a PAPR system where exertion and duration make breathing resistance a real factor. OSHA’s respiratory protection standard also requires a written respiratory protection program, medical evaluation, and annual fit testing for workers required to wear tight-fitting respirators.
Fit, comfort, and compatibility with other PPE, like hard hats, eye protection, or hearing protection, should also be considered as part of a complete respiratory protection program. SSI works with distributors and end users to help identify respiratory protection products that fit their applications and connect them with the appropriate products from the manufacturers we represent.
Respiratory Protection Sales & Product Support
SSI works with safety distributors and end users to help connect workplace applications with respiratory protection products from the manufacturers we represent. Our sales team provides product knowledge and application support throughout the sales process, helping customers understand available equipment and identify products suited to their needs.
Our team works directly in the field with distributors and their customers, providing product demonstrations, training, and on-site support when appropriate. This hands-on approach gives SSI an understanding of the environments in which respiratory protection products are used and helps us support both our manufacturer partners and the customers they serve.
Respiratory Protection FAQs
What does OSHA's respiratory protection standard require?
OSHA’s respiratory protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, requires employers to establish a written respiratory protection program whenever respirators are necessary to protect worker health. This includes selecting a respirator appropriate to the specific hazard, medically evaluating workers before they’re fit tested, performing an annual fit test for tight-fitting respirators, training workers on proper use and limitations, and using NIOSH-certified respirators in accordance with their certification.
Why does exhalation resistance matter in a respirator?
Exhalation resistance is the effort required to breathe out through a respirator’s valve. High resistance makes breathing more tiring over a shift, particularly during physical exertion. Respirators designed with low-resistance exhalation valves can reduce breathing effort and improve comfort during extended wear.
How does inhalation resistance affect respirator performance?
Inhalation resistance is the effort required to draw air in through a respirator’s filter or cartridge. As a filter loads with particulate over time, inhalation resistance can increase, adding breathing effort and fatigue. PAPR systems address this by using a powered blower to move filtered air to the wearer rather than relying solely on the wearer’s inhalation effort.
What's the difference between a filtering facepiece respirator and an elastomeric respirator?
A filtering facepiece respirator, such as an N95, is a disposable mask where the filtering material itself forms the facepiece and the entire unit is discarded after use. An elastomeric respirator, such as a half-mask or full-face respirator, uses a reusable rubber or silicone facepiece with replaceable filters or cartridges, allowing the mask to be cleaned, maintained, and reused with fresh filtration media as needed.
Do all respirators need to be fit tested?
OSHA requires fit testing for employees who use tight-fitting respirator facepieces, before initial use, whenever a different facepiece is used, and at least annually thereafter. Loose-fitting respirator hoods and helmets that do not rely on a facial seal are not subject to the tight-fitting facepiece fit-test requirement.
Need Help Finding the Right Respiratory Protection Products?
SSI works with distributors and end users to help identify respiratory protection products for a wide range of workplace applications. Talk with our team about your application, exposure concerns, and the products available from the manufacturers we represent.