UPDATED 6/4/2020 with an FR face-covering item. (NOT an endorsement!)
Westex UltraSoft® FR Face Mask
7oz. Westex UltraSoft®
88% Cotton / 12% High Tenacity Nylon
Sizes: Regular
Colors: Orange (OR)
Style: FR9805
Source: https://rascofr.com/product-category/face-covering/
Last week the good folks are DuPont opened a can of proverbial worms that about a dozen of us have been hotly debating behind the scenes. Their press release suggested that workers who need a CDC recommended face covering and may be doing a task or work in an area that requires flame-retardant/resistant clothing (FRC) to use masks, balaclavas, gaiters, and hoods made with Nomex®. I have been convinced that this could be met when the FRC need is for an Arc-Flash Hazard, as this can be easily managed by wearing the balaclava in the arc-flash PPE ensemble for a short period of time and hopefully on rare occasions. As we enter the summer months, I can just see operators in wearing full balaclavas and hoods for their full shift in 100° weather!!! But what about the workers who work in Class II, Div 1 and 2 hazardous locations (HAZLOC) and they need respiratory protection?
Before COVID19, N-95 Dust Masks (FFP) that are NOT available with flame-retardant/resistant ratings (NFPA 2112) were just fine for the Class II, Div 1 and 2 hazardous locations. So were we in violation of good PPE practices by issuing and requiring workers who needed respiratory protection against dust, that also happened to be combustible dust, to use ordinary N-95 masks that are not FRC rated for the hazardous locations? Is there some master plan in place to begin manufacturing N-95 FFPs that carry some type of FRC rating for use inside Class II HAZLOCs after this COVID19 madness subsides? And for those of you who are thinking about the 1/2-face and full-face APRs, it is the same question, as these do NOT carry any FRC ratings.
For years I have been hammering facilities during audits and safety reviews about ensuring that the “outermost garment is FRC” and I never said a word about the N-95s being worn without an FRC rating. Was I wrong? Was it a mistake? What is the correct answer? Should we have FRC rated respirators when working inside a HAZLOC? That would go for Class I, Class II, and Class III HAZLOCs???? What say you?