Wear a respirator for dust, fumes and smoke
Use a properly fitted N95 or better respirator for dusty work and heavy wildfire smoke, and a cartridge respirator for gases and vapors.
- How often
- As needed
- Time
- During exposure
- Recommended for
- 22 factors
How to do it
- Know the difference. A respirator, such as an N95, filters fine particles when it seals to your face. A surgical or cloth mask does not seal and is not a respirator.
- Use a respirator for sanding, demolition, insulation, sawing and other dusty jobs, and on heavy smoke days. Keep a few N95s on hand. Never disturb suspected asbestos yourself; an N95 is not enough.
- An N95 stops particles, not gases or vapors. Spray painting, solvents, isocyanates and some welding fumes need a cartridge respirator chosen for that hazard, and fit testing at work.
- Check the seal every time you put it on. Air should not leak around the edges.
- At work, your employer should provide the right respirator, fit testing and training. Ask about the respiratory protection program.
- On smoke days, limit time outside, keep windows closed and run an air cleaner.
Why it helps
Fine dust, fumes and smoke particles reach deep into your lungs and can cause both short-term irritation and long-term lung disease. A respirator that fits well blocks most of those particles. One that leaks around the edges doesn't.
Be careful
Respirators make breathing harder and can raise the risk of heat illness. If you have heart or lung disease, ask your doctor before wearing one. Facial hair under the seal reduces protection. No respirator filter protects against carbon monoxide or oxygen-poor air, such as in a closed garage, a tank or a confined space.
Recommended for
Alaska
Months of low sun, deep cold and summer smoke from big wildfires.
placeArizona
Extreme desert heat, intense sun and a lung infection that lives in the dust.
occupationAuto mechanic
Under hoods and cars, bent over engines, hands in grease and solvent.
placeCalifornia
Wildfire smoke, valley fever dust, inland heat and year-round sun.
occupationCarpenter
Hammering, sawing, lifting and kneeling, with sharp tools all day.
placeColorado
Thin air, stronger sun, high-radon soil and summer smoke.
occupationConstruction worker
Heavy loads, heights, noise, dust and weather, every day.
hobbyDIY home improvement
Ladders, power tools, heavy lifting and dust from old materials.
occupationFarmer
Dawn-to-dusk physical work outdoors, around machines and animals.
placeFlorida
Heat and humidity most of the year, high sun, and mold after storms.
occupationHairstylist
Arms up, scissors in hand, standing behind the chair all day.
placeIdaho
Mountain radon, smoky summers, cold winters and weak winter sun.
placeLouisiana
Gulf humidity, a long mosquito season and mold after floods.
placeMontana
High-radon ground, smoky summers, bitter winters and a short winter sun.
placeNevada
Desert heat, high-elevation sun, and a soil fungus kicked up by dust.
placeNew Mexico
Thin air, intense sun, and well water that deserves a test.
placeOregon
Wildfire smoke in late summer and dim, cloudy winters.
occupationPlumber
Under sinks, in trenches, on your knees, twisting into tight spaces.
placeUtah
High elevation, intense sun on snow, and winter inversions.
placeWashington
Smoky late summers, dark gray winters, and radon in the northeast.
occupationWelder
Fumes, sparks, UV light and awkward positions.
hobbyWoodworking
Spinning blades, loud machines and fine dust in the air.