Till now my work only supplied cloth masks

Very thankful to capitalism for providing us with efficient production and distribution so that workers like me can stay safe :comfy:

  • QuillQuote [they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    lmao no, We get one one size fits all mask a week :agony-consuming:

    edit: they're kn95's I didn't know there was a difference

    • Dapper_Cassowary [he/him,none/use name]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Wait you are not actually fitted to it?? That's illegal in the US. DM me if you have any N95 questions (Source: I actually fit test for a living)

      • QuillQuote [they/them]
        ·
        4 years ago

        What does fitted to it even mean here? It's got the elastic strands that go around your ear and the piece of metal to form it to my nose, what do you mean though?

        • Dapper_Cassowary [he/him,none/use name]
          ·
          4 years ago

          So with N95 masks there is a process the employer must go through to ensure that the mask is protecting you properly (either qualitative or quantitative) if you are in the US. I am not familiar with respirator standards outside the US. KN95S however do not meet the protective ratings of an N95 due to their construction, one of the reasons is the strap configuration (Ear loops vs two distinct head straps) . Due to the ear loop construction(and other issues) they do not offer the same protection as an N95 and are not recognized at a respirator.

            • Dapper_Cassowary [he/him,none/use name]
              ·
              4 years ago

              From my experience they seem to have a better filter than conventional cloth masks and maybe slightly better than some surgical masks. But they will not pass extensive fit testing. So I mean, slightly better than a surgical mask? But certainly not an N95 Edit: is very much also depends on the fit to your face

              • pastalicious [he/him, undecided]
                ·
                4 years ago

                Thanks for the info. I'm not in healthcare or retail, but have more exposure than I would like at work so we finally broke down and ordered some Bona Fide N95 and KN95 masks to see if they are any good. A study came out today that indicates regular folks have no idea if the fit on their mask is good even following the basic CDC guidelines and without a good fit they're no better than a cloth mask. LOL fuck.

                • Dapper_Cassowary [he/him,none/use name]
                  ·
                  4 years ago

                  Yes, unfortunately that is true. We have looked into the study though and they left out a couple key pieces. In positive news though the KN95 won't likely offer the same protection as an N95 but it will still do better than a normal mask. Good luck and stay safe. As always I am open for questions about masks anytime :heart-sickle: