What is a respirator?

A respirator is a personal protective device that is worn on the face, covers at least the nose and mouth, and is used to reduce the wearer’s risk of inhaling hazardous airborne particles (including dust particles and infectious agents), gases, or vapors. Respirators are considered as a "last line of defense" in the occupational hierarchy of controls. They are recommended when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or sufficient to control the hazard, or until these other controls can be put in place.

Respirators protect the user in two basic ways; either by filtering contaminated ambient air or by providing a clean source of air. Respirators that remove contaminants from the air are called air-purifying respirators (APRs). APRs include particulate respirators, which filter out airborne particles, and “gas masks,” which remove gasses and vapors from ambient air.

The classification of air-purifying respirators can be further subdivided into three categories:

1. Filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) – Sometimes referred to as disposable particulate respirators because the entire respirator is discarded when it becomes unsuitable for further use due to considerations of hygiene, excessive resistance, or physical damage. These are also commonly referred to as “N95s.”
2. Elastomeric facepiece respirators – Sometimes referred to as reusable respirators because the facepiece is cleaned and reused while the filter cartridges and canisters are discarded and replaced when they become unsuitable for further use.
3. Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) – A battery-powered blower moves the air through the filters to the user.

The other type of respirators, which protect by supplying clean air from another source are called air-supplying respirators (ASRs). This type of respirator is comprised of airline, or supplied air, respirators (SARs), which use compressed air from a remote source; and self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs), which include their own breathing gas (compressed air or oxygen) supply.