Why Do You Need to Wear a Dustproof Mask

A dustproof mask comes with myriad advantages as it protects you from several potential dangers daily. It is an especially great tool to mitigate the risks of falling ill with respiratory issues. Interestingly, bigger particles of dust that are visible to the human eye are less harmful in comparison to minute particles.  

Specks of dust that are smaller than ten microns, due to their minuteness, can maneuver past the resistance put up by your body's defense system to reach your lungs. Any particle that is bigger than ten microns is ensnared by your body’s filters, like your nose or throat, before it can reach your lungs and cause substantial damage.       

There is a direct connection between the ventilation at a place and the possibility of people breathing in dust particles over there. Therefore, if an individual is working in a room with an open door, the air is substituted quickly which decreases the possibility of the dust staying inside. Contrastingly, in the case of small, dingy rooms without any air circulation (like small shops), the dust particles stay for a long period.

Thus, if your workspace matches the latter description, you must take preventive measures by wearing a high-grade dustproof mask. Furthermore, the potential danger is proportional to the amount of time for which you are exposed to a dust particle.

For example, if you visit a small shop to meet a friend for an hour every week, your risk of experiencing harmful effects is very low and you may not even need a dustproof mask. But if you work in that small shop every day, you require one. Individuals who work with wood, like in the case of carpenters, are also at a risk. However, the danger quotient is pretty low because, as we know, sawdust is not very fine and minute.  

The dust produced from drilling, sawing, and routing is quite large in comparison to the harmful dust particles we have discussed. Nonetheless, it is recommended to use a dustproof mask while performing any of these activities, as a precautionary measure.   

In the case of sanding, there is a high chance of generating very minuscule dust particles which can pose severe threats to your respiratory system. So always wear a dustproof mask while you put your power sander to use.