What Does Respirator Mean?
A respirator is an item of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is
worn over the mouth and nose. It is designed to protect the respiratory
system by filtering out hazardous substances like dust or smoke from the
surrounding air that is being inhaled by the wearer. There are various
forms of respirators with different means of supplying purified air to
the wearer. Danger should be assessed carefully before deciding what
equipment is appropriate.
Safeopedia Explains Respirator
The several types of respirators include air-purifying respirators,
which remove air contaminants by passing ambient air through a filter,
atmosphere supplying respirators, which supplies the user with breathing
air from a source independent of the ambient air, canister or cartridge
respirators, which include a container with a filter, sorbent or
catalyst which removes contaminants from the ambient air and demand
respirators, which include an atmosphere supplying respirator that only
allows air flow when the wearer inhales and creates a vacuum.