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There are 2 types of powered air respirators (PAPR), these can either be as:
1) Battery Powered Air Respirator where a battery-powered filter (either waist or head-mounted) draws air through the filter and pumps clean air to the user.
2) A supplied Air Respirator where a clean air supply is gently regulated to the user via a breathing tube from a compressor.
Battery powered masks are classified into three protective categories TH1, TH2, TH3 with TH1 equating to a protection factor APF 10, TH2 APF 20 & TH3 APF 40. Powered respirators must meet the European safety standard EN146 & EN12941 to be allowed to be used safely in the UK.
Air-supplied respirators must meet the European safety standards EN270 & EN1835 incorporating the hood top & helmet supplied with air from a compressor. The adjustable continuous flow regulator must also have a low warning device enabled.
The main manufacturers are 3M, Sundstrom & JSP who produce a range of hooded & helmet topped powered respirators. The fan units are mainly waist-mounted however the new powered respirator, the Kite Airhood contains the fan in the head unit so there are no external breathing tubes. If there is a concern that tubes could be snagged, the Kite Airhood would be the power respirator mask to select.
Powered air respirators are battery-powered with a fan unit that can either be waist-mounted or head-mounted. The filtered air is then delivered to the chosen headpiece which can be either a hood or hard head top. The main manufacturers of powered air respirators are JSP PAPR with the switch & go system all in one pack, the 3M PAPR such as the 3M Versaflo TR315 starter unit with a selected head top which can be either hood or hard helmets such as the 3M 306 & the Sundstrom PAPR comprising of the Sundstrom SR 500 Power unit with either the SR 530 head top or the SR 570 helmet.
The benefits of a battery-powered respirator are the flexibility of movement with the whole unit attached to the user allowing the user to walk freely without trailing breathing tubes. Battery-powered units cannot however be used to protect against poor warning materials (Where the hazard cannot be smelt or tasted).
If protection is required against materials that cannot be tasted or smelt a supplied-air regulator is required whereby breathable air is supplied from a compressor via a breathing tube.
Recommended Battery Powered Air Respirators:
JSP PAPR Switch & Go Respirator (hood) (Ready to use)
Protection Level: APF 20 TH2
JSP PAPR Constructor Kit (Helmet) (Ready to use)
Protection Level: APF 20 TH2
3m PAPR TR 315 Starter Unit & M306 Helmet
Protection Level: APF 40 (TH3)
3m PAPR TR 315 Start Unit & 3M Versaflo Head Top S-433L
Protection Level: APF 40 (TH3)
Sundstrom SR 500 Power unit & SR 570 Helmet Head Top
Protection Level: APF 200 (TH3)
Sundstrom SR 500 & SR 530 Hood Top
Protection Level: APF 200 (TH3)
Pureflo XStream (Ready to Use) (No Breathing Tubes)
Protection Level: APF 20 (TH2)
Powered air masks are the only masks that can be used for personnel with beards. Depending on the size of the beard, either a hood head top or a helmet head unit can be selected.
Supplied air masks/ head tops are the only masks that can be used for personnel with beards. Depending on the size of the beard, either a supplied-air hood unit or a helmet head unit can be selected.
Powered respirator masks are an enclosed system where air is pumped around the mask unit vi a powered fan. PAPR masks do not require face fitting.
The following head tops whether hood or hard helmet can be used with both the battery unit or air valve regulator with a compressed air unit.
This allows complete flexibility to use the head top either with supplied air from a compressor and also with a powered air waist-mounted battery fan unit if more freedom of movement is required.
3m M306 Helmet
Protection Level: APF 40 (TH3)
3M Versaflo Head Top S-433L
Protection Level: APF 40 (TH3)
Sundstrom SR 570 Helmet Head Top
Protection Level: APF 200 (TH3)
Sundstrom SR 530 Hood Top
Protection Level: APF 200 (TH3)
The head tops should already include a breathing tube and so only an air valve regulator would be required to regulate air supplied from a compressor. A 3M head top would require the 3M Versaflo valve and the Sundstrom head tops would require the Sundstrom valve regulator unit.
If the dual-purpose head top requires a breathing tube to connect to the compressor & regulator valve the 3m masks would require the 3m BT40 Breathing tube and the Sundstrom masks would require the Sundstrom breathing tubes.
The European safety standard incorporating breathing tubes is the EN1835 standard & covers three classes LDH1, LDH2 & LDH3 (LDH= Light Duty Hose) (HDH = Heavy Duty Hose)