Have you worked out the long-term cost of your respiratory protection equipment? It is easy to think that a disposable respirator is a cheap respirator — but is it?
or see below for ready-made graphic samples |
Everyone knows that a disposable dust mask is much less expensive than, say, a silicone face-seal respirator.
The real picture appears only when you look at how many masks and filters you buy, for how many workers, over how long a time.
The key point is how long each component is going to last and work effectively. In regard to cost, there are some fundamental differences between elastomer (rubber, silicone, TPE etc.) and disposable respirators:
| Elastomer | Disposable | |
| Service life of face piece | Several years | Single use only |
| Life span of filter | 20–40 working days | ½ –1 working day |
Below, we have done some mathematics for you. (The prices are in Australian dollars, but you can enter your own prices in your own currency if you go to the Do-It-Yourself page.) These examples use our own Sundström SR90-2 half mask respirator with a class P3 high-efficiency mechanical particle filter and pre-filter, compared with the typical price of a well-known brand disposable class P2 (N95) electrostatic dust respirator fitted with an exhalation valve.
1 disposable/day |
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| (Per employee) | Sundström SR90-2 | Disposable |
| Purchase price, face piece | 42.75 | — |
| Pre-filter cost per year | 0.55*210=115.50 | — |
| Main filter cost per year | 18.65*12=223.80 | 4.20*210=882.00 |
| TOTAL ANNUAL COST | $382.05 | $882.00 |
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As many operations require disposable masks to be replaced twice a day, here is the annual cost for those industries:
2 disposables/day |
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| (Per employee) | Sundström SR90-2 | Disposable |
| Purchase price, face piece | 42.75 | — |
| Pre-filter cost per year | 0.55*210=115.50 | — |
| Main filter cost per year | 18.65*12=223.80 | (4.20*210)*2=1,764.00 |
| TOTAL ANNUAL COST | $382.05 | $1,764.00 |
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Fill in your own cost calculations in any currency! Click HERE
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NOTE 1:
The life span of mechanical filters depends on concentration, particle size and other factors. The nominal life span presented here is a conservative average.NOTE 2:
Mechanical particle filters capture particles in a physical mesh, and are virtually unaffected by humidity, oil mist, aerosols and other 'wet' contaminants. Electrostatic filters bind particles through electrostatic attraction and are degraded by humidity etc. to a much greater extent.NOTE 3:
The Standards requirement for class P2 filters is 95% filtering efficiency (5% leakage)
The Standards requirement for class P3 filters is 99.95% filtering efficiency (0.05% leakage)NOTE4:
Naturally, long-lasting elastomer respirators may incur certain operating costs, such as cleaning and spare parts. However, in a durable mask constructed of few parts, such costs are negligible in the long run.