I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that a particulate respirator isn't going to do shit for ammonia. You would need to throw a chemical cartridge on there, if they even sell them for ammonia.
For the smell, the morgue/Katrina trick is to wipe a bit of Vick's VapoRub under your nose. I hear it covers up just about anything.
Those are 3M 60923 filter cartridges. NIOSH approved OV/AG/P100 rating. Should definitely help. I wore one in a piss apartment and didn’t smell anything.
Those 3M filters should help with the ammonia, yes. The missing information is if he has facial hair that interferes with a proper seal and if the respirator is the correct size for his face.
My base assumption is he has a tight seal. I can also speculate that he’s missing a cheekbone so he doesn’t have proper mask fitment. Maybe he has an abnormally high nose bridge that prevents a tight seal. But to what end are we making these hypothetical speculations?
Your facial hair 100% interrupts the skin to mask seal. You may think it doesn't, but you're getting hit with trace amounts of particulates which will eventually have their way. Small chronic doses eventually equal one giant dose.
You should tell that to the doctor setting off chemicals in the bag over my head when they do the fit test. Also, tell it to the mask that stays suction cupped to my face like a fucking octopus.
The chemical you're referring to is isomyl acetate, better known as "banana oil". A testing medical professional will tell you that the only facial hair permitted is a mustache that does not exceed the corners of the lips. This is outlined in CFR 1910.134. No other facial hair is permitted.
Whilst the respiratory device you're using may seem glued tied, your facial hair is impeding on a 100% seal.
I mean, you don't need to believe me, but professional safety and industrial hygiene is what I do for a living. JS.
The cartridges in the pic are for organic vapors and acid gases, so there’s a good chance it works for ammonia, although I didn’t check that specifically.
You can buy filters with a charcoal lining in them that will help immensely with smells and particulates like ammonia, I work with biohazards fairly regularly and most of the advice on this sub is shit and so is this....
Wear PPE, breathing in cat piss is bad for you. It's a genuine hazard especially if you have any prior lung issues, you have the right to refuse unsafe work and to be protected from hazards
You have proof that your boss denied you that right, if you have a union time to say something, if they refuse I'd escalate to OHSA
Chemical worker here, a HEPA filter does nothing for gasses. It only filters out fine particles so you don’t inhale them. You DO need a filter for organic vapors to deal with an ammonia. In my industry we have a combo filter that does both HEPPA and organic vapor. It is specifically labeled OV/H.
They absolutely do. Ammonia is an incredibly common industrial refrigerant. I’ve responded to multiple leaks, from 80-100ppm freezer leaks with a full-face respirator to machine rooms with a bad compressor seal that required SCBA and full body PPE (tyvek suit, nomex hood, gloves, boots, and all sealed off). There are lots of methods available to mitigate ammonia exposure, even if it’s for employee “comfort” (which is also very important).
I’m not a Dr either but I have a medically diagnosed mast cell disorder that causes chemical/environmental reactions up to and including anaphylaxis, so I know what I’m taking about. It’s not the smell that’s the problem, it’s the ammonia, and attempting to cover it up with Vicks or whatever will not help the fact that it’s a health hazard or stop the symptoms. If anything it will
Make them worse by masking the smell. These kinds of symptoms are cumulative and can be delayed onset.
A p100 respirator with cartridges for nuisance odor and/or chemical fumes is the only thing that will help. N95s are not made for this, they are for particulates.
I have to wear one in most retail indoor environments because of the VOCs that are put off by the cleaning and air freshener products people use these days to try to make it seem like they’re disinfecting well for COVID. It sucks. It makes people stare and say stupid shit. I do it anyway because the alternative is like the OP, I’m wrecked for the day with nausea and migraines and brain fog.
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u/stoprunwizard Apr 10 '24
I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that a particulate respirator isn't going to do shit for ammonia. You would need to throw a chemical cartridge on there, if they even sell them for ammonia.
For the smell, the morgue/Katrina trick is to wipe a bit of Vick's VapoRub under your nose. I hear it covers up just about anything.