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Does your powered respirator mask still deliver the airflow it did when new? Most workers assume yes. The unit switches on, the fan hums, and that feels like proof enough. It is not. Filters load gradually over weeks of dust exposure. Batteries lose capacity with every charge cycle. Seals perish quietly out of sight inside the hose connectors. None of these failures announces themselves clearly, and the wearer rarely notices the drop. Under COSHH, employers must keep RPE in efficient working order

When did you last check the expiry date on your FFP3 mask stock? Most people never do. Masks sit in vans, site huts and store cupboards for years without anyone looking twice. Meanwhile, heat and humidity quietly degrade the straps, nose foam and filter media inside sealed packets. The box looks perfectly fine from the outside. The mask inside may no longer seal.

The filter inside an FFP3 mask captures 99% of airborne particles, which is tested, certified, and printed on the packaging. What isn't printed is how much inhaled air bypasses that filter entirely through a gap at the seal.

The HSE sets FFP3 total inward leakage at a maximum of 2%. If it exceeds, the mask's protection is compromised regardless of its filter grade. This is why face fit testing is the only way to know the mask is working.

Workplace air isn’t always as safe as it looks. Dust, fumes, vapours and fine particles can be present at hazardous levels without being visible, which is why Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is one of the most important and most misunderstood categories of PPE.

Silica dust is a rising concern which is creating occupational health risks in the UK. Occupations involving cutting and grinding of stones, bricks, and engineered stones expose workers to respirable crystalline silica, which, although invisible to the naked eye, when inhaled, leads to permanent lung damage.