{"id":21760,"date":"2021-03-09T11:25:13","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T11:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.manutan.co.uk\/blog\/?p=21760"},"modified":"2022-05-12T14:55:38","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T13:55:38","slug":"do-respirator-masks-expire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manutan.co.uk\/blog\/health-safety\/do-respirator-masks-expire\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Respirator Masks Expire?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The majority of disposable respirators have an expiry date and once this date has passed, the respirator mask should not be used. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manutan.co.uk\/en\/key\/masks-respirators\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Respirator masks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are designed to protect users from inhaling harmful substances and particles so using them after their expiry date puts the user at risk, as the respirators may not work to their fullest potential.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will discuss why respirators should not be used after they have expired, how they should be stored and how they should be used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a respirator mask?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A respirator mask is worn in a range of workplaces and for personal projects where there is a risk of inhaling harmful fumes, gases, vapours and particles which could affect the respiratory system. Generally, respirators fit closely to the user\u2019s face and efficiently filter airborne particles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What happens when a respirator mask expires?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a respirator mask has exceeded its shelf life the mask may not perform at the standard required to effectively protect its wearer. If a respirator mask is old, you may notice that certain features of the mask have degraded. For instance, the mask\u2019s strap may have lost its elasticity and will be ineffective in fitting the user\u2019s head securely &#8211; this will pose an unnecessary risk to the user and may lead to the inhalation of harmful materials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What affects the expiry date of respirator masks?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The expiry date of a respirator mask will vary across products. The following conditions can influence the expiry date of respiratory masks:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The type of respiratory mask you have<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The date the mask was manufactured<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The filters in the respiratory mask<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The materials used to make the mask<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to store respirator masks<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is important to correctly store your respirators so that they can perform well for the user. Here is some advice on how to store your respirator masks properly:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep respirators boxed\/wrapped in their packaging.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid storing respirators in areas containing dust, sunlight, chemicals, moisture or high temperatures.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regularly check the dates of your respiratory masks so that employees do not accidentally use an expired mask.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to use a disposable respirator mask<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wash your hands\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you put on your respirator mask, you should thoroughly wash your hands or apply a hand sanitiser to minimise the risk of spreading germs or dirt.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check the mask\u2019s condition<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is important to check the following before using a disposable respirator mask:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure that the mask has not exceeded its expiry date.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure that the mask has not previously been worn.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check that the mask is not damaged &#8211; check for rips, tears and other signs of fault.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conducting these checks will ensure that the mask can effectively protect you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure that the mask is the right way up\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually, you can tell where the top of the mask is as there is a metal band there to fit over the nose.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hold the outside of the respirator mask in your hand<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure that the top of the mask is at your fingertips.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hold the mask to your face<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the mask still in your hand, hold the mask up to your face so that the respirator rests just under your chin and covers your nose. The bands of the mask should be hanging beneath your hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pull the mask straps over your head<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With one hand still holding the mask in place, use your other hand to pull the top strap to the top back of your head. You will then need to pull the bottom strap over your head and position it around the neck, just below the ears. Please make sure that your mask straps are not crossed over each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mold the mask over your nose<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using your fingertips, rub down the sides of the top part of the mask so that it molds around the shape of your nose.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check that the face mask is tight and secure<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can check that your respirator mask is securely sealed by placing your hands over the respirator and exhaling. If you feel any air leaking from the sides of the mask, it is not correctly fitted and should be re-adjusted accordingly. If you struggle to correctly fit the mask, you may need a different size face mask.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking for respirator masks?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are looking for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manutan.co.uk\/en\/key\/masks-respirators\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">respirator masks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Manutan has got you covered! Take a look at our wide range of products and keep yourself and your staff safe in the workplace. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The majority of disposable respirators have an expiry date and once this date has passed, the respirator mask should not be used. Respirator masks are designed to protect users from inhaling harmful substances and particles so&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":21761,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[70],"tags":[39,101,100,102],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Do Respirator Masks Expire? - Manutan UK Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The majority of disposable respirator masks have an expiry date and once this date has passed, the respirator mask should not be used.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manutan.co.uk\/blog\/health-safety\/do-respirator-masks-expire\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Do Respirator Masks Expire? 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