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PPE - RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
TYPES OF RESPIRATORS
TYPES OF FILTERS, USE & LIFESPAN
Type
Features
How it Works
Disposable 
Respirator
•	 A face piece that covers the nose 
and mouth.
•	 A headband that keeps the 
respirator on the face.
Single use respirator, which when worn securely on the face reduces the exposure to 
airborne particle hazards.
Half Mask Filter 
Respirator 
•	 A face piece that covers the nose 
and mouth.
•	 A filter or filters.
•	 A system of one-way valves.
•	 A head harness that keeps the 
respirator securely on the face
The valves enable the wearer to breathe in through the filter which cleans the 
contaminated air before it reaches the lungs. The air the wearer breathes out is then 
released through the exhalation valve(s) without any contaminated air leaking in. 
Full Face Filter 
Respirator
•	 An inner mask that covers the 
nose and mouth.
•	 An outer mask with visor that 
covers the eyes and face .
•	 A filter or filters.
•	 A system of one-way valves.
•	 A head harness that keeps the 
respirator securely on the face
The valves enable the wearer to breathe in through the filter which cleans the 
contaminated air before it reaches the lungs. The air the wearer breathes out is 
released through the exhalation valve(s) without any contaminated air leaking in.
The full face respirator not only filters out harmful materials from the air, but also 
protects the face and eyes from dust, gas, liquid splashes and impact.
Type
Features
How it Works
Types of Air Supply
Supplied Air 
Respirator
•	 Face pieces including or 
compatible with supplied air 
connection.
•	 Loose-fitting hoods, helmets 
or blouses with supplied air 
connection.
A supplied air 
respirator is a 
respirator to which 
clean air is pumped 
through a hose 
or air line from a 
remote source.
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
•	 Carrying a bottle of clean, compressed air on 
the back.
Supplied Air
•	 Pumping clean air from a remote source 
through a hose to a mask or hood around the 
head.
Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) 
Breath-Responsive Respirator (FPBR):
•	 A motor-driven fan which draws contaminated 
air through a filter and then provides clean air 
to the face.
Intrinsically Safe Powered Air Purifying 
Respirator (PAPR):
•	 A motor-driven fan which draws contaminated 
air through a filter and then provides clean air 
to the face in explosive/ignitable environments 
when worn with suitable face piece.
Filter Type
Use
Filter Life
Particle filters
Protects only against particles, that is, dust, 
aerosols, smoke, mould, bacteria etc. A particle 
filter does NOT protect against gases and vapours.
Some particle filters are single use such as filtering face pieces, 
and others are not and can be reused (these filters absorb more 
and more particles and will eventually clog, it will then become 
more difficult to breathe through the filter).
Gas Filters/Cartridges
Protects only against gases and vapours. There 
are different kinds of gas filters/cartridges for 
different kinds of gases. A gas filter/cartridge does 
NOT provide protection against particles.
Absorbs gas until they become saturated. After this, the filter 
will simply not absorb any more gas. There is no difference in 
breathing resistance, and it is unlikely that the user will be able 
to tell by smell or taste that the filter has become ineffective; the 
gas will just go right through the ‘spent’ filter. This is why it is very 
important to replace gas filters/cartridges before the end of the 
filter lifetime. This has to be done according to a time schedule 
based on the type and concentration of the gas or vapour.  
Combination Filters/
Cartridges
Protects against both particles and gases. 
Different combination filter/cartridges are used 
depending on the gas or vapour present in the air.
Lifetime expires when either the particle component becomes 
clogged and hard to breathe through, or when the time is up for 
the gas component.
Material Courtesy of SEA Group (Sundström)
TYPES OF RESPIRATORS & TYPES OF FILTERS, USE & LIFESPAN

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