Respiratory Contaminants

Breathing in particulates in the air can cause a number of health concerns. Respiratory contaminants can clog lungs or damage tissue. You must know what respiratory contaminants exist in your work area, and you need to wear the appropriate protection.

Basic dust protection can come from a quarter facepiece dust mask with replaceable filters. Disposable fiber cup masks are not considered effective.

Some tasks expose miners to hazardous fumes. In such cases, use measuring equipment to test the strength of air contaminants. It may be necessary to wear more advanced respirators.

Certain substances, like asbestos fibers, coal fines, or radionuclides, require a positive pressure respirator that maintains a higher air pressure in the mask than outside of the mask. These hoods and tight-fitting facepiece masks are equipped with high-quality HEPA filters.

To learn more about Surface Mining Refresher visit our MSHA Part 46 Surface Mining Refresher Online Training web page.