EN 136 sets the requirements for full face masks. Covering the whole face gives the mask a dual role: protecting the airways, and protecting the eyes from substances that irritate the mucous membranes or are absorbed through them.
Classes
- Class 1
- Light duty — production lines, short tasks
- Class 2
- General purpose — industry and chemical work
- Class 3
- Heavy duty — fire and rescue, used with breathing apparatus; the strictest durability requirements
Why a full face mask
- Total inward leakage ≤0.05% — far better than the 2% of a half mask.
- Protection factors reach 2000× with a P3 filter.
- Eye protection against substances such as ammonia, acrolein and isocyanates.
A full face mask may be used with a filter, a supplied-air line or self-contained breathing apparatus (EN 137). The connection is standardised — usually the RD40 thread of EN 148-1 — which lets filters from different manufacturers be interchanged.