The respirator works by filtering and blowing air through a breathing tube into the user’s face or mouth. This way, it protects the wearer against dust, contaminated air, and bacteria that could cause severe respiratory illness.

Uses of EZ Air Flex Shield Powered Air Purifying Respirator

The EZ Air Flex Shield Powered Air Purifying Respirator offers combined respiratory, eye, and general face protection. You can use it when doing different tasks, like;

• Welding (when used with our optional welding visor attachment – PN 9937-WFFADF)
• Facility maintenance
• Grinding
• Machine operation
• Painting
• Sanding

It can also be used by:

• Medical personnel
• First responders
• The pharmaceutical field (to protect against inhaling dangerous fumes)

Benefits of EZ Air Flex Shield Powered Air Purifying Respirator

The EZ Air Flex Shield Powered Air Purifying Respirator has many benefits, but it requires proper care, including cleaning, disinfecting, and storage. Its benefits include:

• Its manufacturing involves using tough materials that can withstand extreme temperatures without cracking or deforming.
• It allows the wearer to breathe easily and is comfortable to wear.
• No fit testing is required.
• It can fit and protect even individuals with facial hair.
• It offers integrated protection from the neck up.
• It is reusable.
• It is lightweight and portable.

To Reach us

Social media is an electronic communication space that is important for business owners to reach their customers.

Allegro Industries has content on social media, including blog posts, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, which helps us keep our customers up to date with our products. As a result, our customers can learn about and purchase our products from the comfort of their homes.

You can reach us through our website to learn more about the EZ Air Flex Shield Powered Air Purifying Respirator or to find sales representatives and sales managers in your area.

Selecting the Proper Control Method

Use of engineering controls, such as local exhaust ventilation, is always the preferred method of controlling worker exposure to hazardous materials. When this is not feasible, respirators may be used to help protect the workers. All occupational respirator use must follow the OSHA respiratory protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, which includes provisions for selection, training, medical clearance, breathable air, etc. Selection of respirators must be conducted carefully to ensure the respirator selected provides the requisite level of filtration.

The first step in proper respirator selection is knowing which chemicals the worker must be protected against and the airborne concentration of those chemicals. The selected respirator must be able to protect against those chemicals and have an adequate Assigned Protection Factor (APF) for the concentrations noted. Per 29 CFR 1910.134(b),

“APF means the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class of respirators is expected to provide to employees when the employer implements a continuing, effective respiratory protection program as specified by this section.”

The airborne concentration of the chemical divided by the APF must be lower than its OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL). Respirators always must be used within their APFs and the regulatory requirements of 1910.134. PAPRs and SARs with hoods, helmets, or full facepieces may have APFs up to 1,000. PAPRs and SARs utilizing loose-fitting facepieces or headcovers (where the respirator is loose and connects with the user’s face along the jaw line) have APRs of 25.

Benefits include:

• Increased comfort. With a PAPR or a SAR, the worker is relieved of the burden of having to be the power source for the respirator. The respirator itself does the work of supplying clean, filtered air to the wearer. The movement of the air supplied by the respirator across the worker’s head and face also may provide a cooling feeling to the worker. SAR units can even be equipped with vortex cooling assemblies that can reduce the temperature of the air supplied to the respirator system by as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. If a hood with an inner shroud is used, this air can be funneled into the worker’s clothing to provide additional cooling, which can be a significant advantage when impermeable worker protective clothing is worn. Similarly, air heating options are also available.
• Elimination of fit testing. Loose-fitting respirators do not require fit testing per the OSHA respiratory protection standard (134(f)). Dispensing with fit testing saves the money of conducting the actual fit test, as well as minimizing worker time away from the job. Note: PAPRs and SARs with tight-fitting face pieces still require annual fit testing. See Allegro Fit Testing Kits here
• Accommodating facial hair. Respirators utilizing tight-fitting facepieces have strict limitations on facial hair. With loose-fitting PAPR and SAR systems, provided the facial hair does not interfere with the headgear sealing area, a person can have limited facial hair, comply with OSHA regulations, and maintain the protection provided by the respirator.
• Reduced fogging. In some work areas where safety glasses and a faceshield are required, fogging can be both an annoyance and a potential safety issue. PAPR and SAR systems can generate a constant airflow across the headgear visor, which may reduce or eliminate fogging.

Improved Product Design

Allegro has recognized the need to incorporate design elements that help make systems easier to use and enhance the overall appeal of our products. Some of these enhancements include:

• Design, weight, and environmental considerations. A well-designed/-styled system can help promote worker acceptance, which is an important factor in increasing usage. Some recently introduced PAPRs incorporate a sleeker, lighter, more ergonomic design. Some current PAPR designs shield the air inlet, which allows the worker to sit in a chair without blocking off airflow, or allow the PAPR to be worn in a decontamination shower without exposing the filter to direct water spray. Changing to lithium-ion batteries from older nickel cadmium or nickel metal hydride batteries can significantly reduce both the size and weight of powered air respirators. In addition, replacement of nickel cadmium batteries also has the environmental advantage of eliminating a toxic, heavy metal (cadmium) from the waste stream.
• User interface systems. Some modern PAPRs can communicate to the worker to warn when the battery pack charge is running low, the particulate filter is clogging, or other malfunction is occurring that may cause the PAPR system to yield insufficient airflow. Some battery packs now come equipped with a charge indicator, where the worker presses a button on the battery to determine the current charge status of the battery pack. This helps ensure the battery pack has sufficient capacity for the duration of the task.
• Adjustable airflow distribution. Worker preference is always an important consideration. A PAPR or SAR system incorporating a hood or helmet that allows the worker to adjust where the air is being distributed within the headgear can help minimize complaints related to issues such as eye irritation, fogging, or a sense there is an insufficient supply of air.

Providing the best safety products for your industry is our priority at Allegro! Contact us to receive more information about our SARs, PAPRs, and similar products that will maximize your workplace safety!

Two Types of Respirators

There are two basic types of respirators:

1. Supplied-Air Respirators (SAR), and
2. Air-Purifying Respirators (APR)

The type of respirator a worker needs depends on the hazards they face on the job site. Please note that respirators should only be used when these hazards cannot be mitigated through elimination, substitution, or engineering contaminants out of the workplace.

Supplied Air Respirators

Supplied air respirators provide air either through an airline hose fed from an uncontaminated air source located away from the hazards; or through a compressed air tank (i.e., Self Contained Breathing Apparatus or SCBA).

SAR systems either come as tight-fitting full- or half-face respirators. If you are working in a confined space with a lack of oxygen or hazardous contaminants (Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH)), you will need a tight-fitting sealed full-face supplied air respirator designed with an emergency escape cylinder. An SCBA is another acceptable means of protection in IDLH environments. However, if you’re working in a non-IDLH environment, you can use a loose-fitting hood that covers the head and neck and provides a constant supply of positive pressure air to keep contaminants out of your breathing zone.

Air Purifying Respirators

Air-purifying respirators don’t supply air; instead, they remove contaminants like dust, mists, and organic vapors by filtering out particulates through an appropriate filtration or absorbent cartridge or filter. Because of that, these types of respirators CAN NOT be used in atmospheres where there is a lack of oxygen or classified as IDLH.

APRs are available in non-powered and powered configurations. In addition, Allegro offers a variety of Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) as standalone headtops or complete particulate systems intended for both the industrial and healthcare markets.

Industrial

• PN 9935 EZ Air Economy PAPR
• PN 9935-DLX EZ Air Deluxe PAPR
• PN 9936 EZ Air Max PAPR
• PN 9937-G EZ Air Flex Shield PAPR

Healthcare

• PN 9933 EZ Air Tyvek PAPR Hood
• PN 9933-S EZ Air Saran PAPR Hood

Selecting the Right Type of Respirator for Your Workplace

Asses the Types of Hazard Workers May Be Exposed To

In environments that have a lack of oxygen, a supplied air system will be required. In situations where there are particulate hazards, such as dust, you will likely use a filter air-purifying respirator or powered air-purifying respirator.

An exposure assessment conducted by an industrial hygienist or an experienced and trained safety professional will determine exposure levels for the types of contaminants you’re testing for and select the proper respirator based on OSHA regulations that are right for your application.

Elements of Respiratory Protection in the Workplace

Of course, selecting the right PPE is just one part of ensuring workers’ respiratory safety. Other things employers and safety professionals need to do include:

• Assess the hazards and evaluating other methods of controlling them
• Conduct an exposure assessment
• Develop a written respiratory protection program
• Conduct medical evaluations
• Perform qualitative or quantitative fit tests
• Provide the appropriate level of training to workers who will use respirators

Respirator Maintenance

To ensure optimal functionality, respirators must be used and maintained properly.

• Ensure that all employees who wear respirators are cleanly shaved
• Encourage employees to perform seal checks whenever they wear a respirator
• Store respirators away from dust, sunlight, extreme temperatures, damaging chemicals, and excessive moisture using proper respirator storage products
• Clean and disinfect the respirator according to the manufacturer’s specifications
• Inspect respirators for function, fit, the pliability of elastomeric part, and the overall condition of the facepiece

Respirator Storage

In accordance with OSHA regulation 1910.134(h)(2)(i) “All respirators shall be stored to protect them from damage, contamination, dust, sunlight, extreme temperatures, excessive moisture, and damaging chemicals, and they shall be packed or stored to prevent deformation of the facepiece and exhalation valve,” we offer numerous storage products that ensure the safety of your respirators.

Storage Bags

• PN 2000 Respirator Storage Bag
• PN 2010 Half Mask Respirator Carry Bag
• PN 2020 Full Mask Respirator Carry Bag
• PN 2025 Full Mask Storage Bag
• PN 2025-01 Deluxe Full Mask Storage Bag
• PN 4001-05 Large Disposable Respirator Storage Bag
• PN 4001-06 Extra Large Disposable Respirator Storage Bag

Wall Cases

• PN 4100-P PAPR Wall Case
• PN 4200 One-Door Storage Cabinet
• PN 4205 Two-Door Storage Cabinet
• PN 4400 Respirator Storage Wall Case
• PN 4500 Emergency Respirator Wall Case
• PN 4550 Hi-Viz Heavy Duty Emergency Respirator Wall Case

Allegro’s products are designed with safety in mind. Contact us for your all of your respiratory product needs!

The Purpose of Fit Testing

Fit testing confirms any respirator’s fit that forms a tight seal on the user’s face before it is used in the workplace. This ensures that users are receiving the expected level of protection by minimizing contaminant leakage into the facepiece. When a respirator does not fit properly, a portion of the air you breathe can bypass the respirator’s filter and enter your breathing airstream through breaks in the seal of the respirator along your face. If this happens, you may be exposed to harmful pathogens in the environment.

When to Fit Test Your Respirators?

All respirators that rely on a mask-to-face seal must be fit tested to validate the seal is air-tight. This fit test must be performed:

• prior to the first issue,
• when there’s a change in the model, style, or size of respirator used,
• when there’s a physical facial change in the person wearing the mask, and
• at least annually

Specific requirements for qualitative fit testing are detailed in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) Respiratory Protection Standard, 29 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 1910.134 Appendix A – Fit Testing Procedures (Mandatory).

Fit Test Protocols

OSHA recognizes two broad categories of fit testing – Quantitative and Qualitative. Quantitative Fit Testing is the process to measure the precise amount of leakage into any tight-fitting facepieces and is performed by a machine calculating the measurements. Typically, the facepiece is attached to a probe, which is connected to the measuring machine by a hose.

Qualitative Fit Testing is a pass/fail method that relies on the subjective sensory (taste, irritation, smell) response of the respirator wearer to a particular test agent, while the quantitative procedures measure actual face seal leakage.

The following mandatory qualitative fit test protocols from OSHA are recognized, testing agents:

Isoamyl Acetate (Isopentyl Acetate or Banana Oil). 

This qualitative fit test agent uses a person’s response to a fruit-like banana aroma to detect leakage into the respirator. A drawback to this agent is the lack of a strong reaction in some fit test subjects to the banana odor. Another drawback is it can only be used with respirators equipped with organic vapor cartridges.

Sweet (Saccharin).

This qualitative fit test agent uses a person’s response to a sweet taste to detect leakage into the respirator. This agent’s drawback is the lack of a strong reaction in some test subjects to a sweet taste.

Bitter (Denatonium Benzoate).

This qualitative fit test agent uses a person’s response to a bitter taste to detect leakage into the respirator. The advantage this agent has over Isoamyl Acetate and Saccharin is the bitter taste. Few enjoy a strong bitter taste, so an unavoidable response by the test subject is readily noticed.

Irritant Smoke.

This qualitative fit test agent uses a person’s response to the irritating chemicals released in the “smoke” produced by a stannic chloride smoke tube to detect leakage into the respirator. The stannic chloride reacts with humidity producing white smoke with a pungent odor. The drawback to Irritant smoke is that it can be toxic. The smoke contains two compounds: hydrogen chloride (HCl) and tin (Sn). Hydrogen chloride is highly corrosive to human tissue. Inhalation of a relatively low concentration will irritate the upper respiratory tract and eyes. This is why it’s such an effective chemical to use for respiratory fit testing.

Even though these qualitative fit testing agents can be used to fit test both half-mask and full-face respirators, it is important to note that qualitative fit tests only validate an assigned protection (APF) of 10 for half masks. OSHA has established an APF of 50 for full facepiece respirators. Still, to use a full facepiece beyond 10 times the permissible exposure limit (PEL), a quantitative fit test must be performed.

Fit Test Exercises

See our full training video on how to perform a proper fit test.

Before beginning the qualitative fit testing protocol, employees are given a description of the fit test and their responsibilities during the procedure. All four qualitative fit test protocols use these seven 60-second exercises:

1. Normal breathing: standing position without talking.
2. Deep breathing: standing position without talking, breathing slowly and deeply.
3. Turning head side-to-side: standing position, slowly turning head side-to-side, holding at an extreme point, and inhaling.
4. Nodding head up and down: standing position, slowly moving head up and down and inhaling in the up position.
5. Talking: talk aloud slowly and loud enough to be heard clearly; read from a prepared text (Rainbow Passage*, see below).
6. Bending over/jogging in place: bend at the waist as if to touch toes. Jogging in place is substituted for testing done in a shroud that does not permit bending over at the waist.
7. Normal breathing: standing position without talking.

*Rainbow Passage:
When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act as a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These take the shape of a long, round arch with its path high about and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon. There is, according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

The “rainbow passage” is used as part of the fifth exercise: talking. It’s a short and phonetically-balanced passage that reflects the variety of sounds and mouth movements used in normal, unscripted English speech. Having employees read the passage as part of the fit test ensures that they can carry out normal speech patterns while wearing the respirator.

In addition to the breathing exercises, OSHA standards require specific exercises for the following substances:

Facial Hair and Fit Testing

Facial hair is a common frustration when it comes to fit testing due to the fact that facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator will cause a respirator to leak. The presence of facial hair under the sealing surface can cause up to 1,000 times more leakage compared to clean-shaven individuals. Facial hair that does not lie along the respirator’s sealing area is considered acceptable and will not affect the seal of the respirator to the wearer’s skin.

Alternative options for employees who are unwilling or unable to shave for both the fit test and during respirator use are loose-fitting Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPRs). This type of respirator uses a battery-powered blower to force air through a particle filter for the wearer to breathe. They can filter particles from the air at efficiencies suitable to be substituted in situations in which an N95 respirator has been recommended. Loose-fitting PAPRs, in which the hood or helmet is designed to form only a partial seal with the wearer’s face, or hoods that seal loosely around the wearer’s neck or shoulders, do not require fit testing. PAPRs also provide the added benefit of being reusable and therefore conserving supplies of N95 respirators. During an infectious disease outbreak such as COVID-19, PAPRs have become an increasingly important option to keep your workers safe as the N95 respirator inventory continues to deplete.

Our selection of PAPRs is suitable for a wide range of applications in a number of different industries. They include:

For more information on any of our products, please contact our customer service department or call us at 800.622.3530 

Weighing under 3 lbs. total, this complete system features a motorized, Lithium-ion battery operating system that supplies a constant supply of fresh, filtered air over the user’s face. At an APF level of 25, it creates optimal protective pressure inside the respirator head top keeping away particulates (dust, steel, manganese, chromium, lead and others). Recommended applications are grinding, assembly, facility maintenance, machine operations, painting and sanding. Suggested industries include automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, general manufacturing and medical applications. Workers’ will experience more comfort, less fatigue, and improved productivity.

The Allegro EZ Air Flex Shield PAPR System includes a shield made of Dupont® super tough, flame retardant Nylon that withstands extreme cold and heat. It is large enough to accommodate safety glasses and features an adjustable and durable Pera-Lok ratcheting head gear with replaceable ultra-soft sweat band. Additional features include a full 100% cotton fire retardant neck shield to prevent arc burns; a flexible quick-disconnect breathing tube and FR cover; a Blower assembly with eight airflow settings, audible, visual and vibration alarms; a convenient single replacement NIOSH approved HEPA filter which filters 99.97% particulates; an adjustable and lightweight FR belt; a battery charger and Lithium-ion rechargeable battery with up to eight hours usage; and a storage bag.

Follow Allegro on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to keep up to date with the latest literature, product updates and introductions, updates in the industry, and training videos made available.

With thirty-four years in the safety industry, Allegro designs and manufactures their products for maximum convenience and ease of use in the field. All their products are backed by outstanding customer service, technical support and fast delivery. For more information, contact customer service or call (800) 622-3530.

#12.20

#3.21