Anyone else wear some sort of breathing protection?

climbingmonkey24

climbingmonkey24

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
United States
Not necessarily the entire time while on a job site, but when doing certain things like a lot of cutting or chipping that generate dust.

I’ve always wondered why this form of PPE isn’t more mainstream and not just in the tree care industry but a variety of industries.
 
Yes. It definitely is useful.

A bandana is an easy help. Buffs, too.

I have a BR800 and lots of biomass to move...an n95 or respirator are nice.

Bucking wood, chunking down while in the tree, climbing on dry moss...all super dusty. Cartridge respirators work great without severely limiting vision, plus no fogging of glasses!
 
Even a white N95 half facemask is better than nothing - tips - get the kind with two yellow elastic bands not just one, get the ones with an exhalation valve on the front (the yellow button thingy) - it helps keep moist exhaled air away from your safety glasses (wearing those right?) and get the kind with a metal nose stiffener - and pinch this always to get a tighter fit around your nose (no air leaks around your nose defeating the filtration) - again helps with not fogging up your safety glasses so much. I made the mistake this summer of not wearing a respirator while re-distributing some spruce mulch around a big yard and putting new mulch on top - the old stuff had white mycelial growth/ fungus here 'n there and I coughed for couple of days on and off. Never thought about it at the time but it was dry and dusty. Cheers
 
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I haven’t in quite a while, it has to be pretty bad for me to seek something like that out. But yes I’ve always gone with a bandana when I do. Typically I always have at least one on hand.
 
This might seem like an odd question, but any of you ever have anxiety about being questioned or mocked for wearing a mask on the job when around others who don’t because of the present climate?

Recently I was watching some lawn mowing / landscaping videos and the guy always wears some sort of mask I think because of allergies, and I was scrolling through the comments and was surprised at the amount of people who didn’t understand why he was wearing a mask in the first place even though it’s obvious. Or making sarcastic comments in reference to COVID, etc.

It’s as if some people have forgotten that long before COVID, masks had other uses besides trying to prevent illness. And nowadays they tend to be associated with politics instead of PPE.

Then again, not sure how serious you can take the comment section on social media, which I try to remember isn’t an accurate representation of every person you may encounter in-person.
 
Masks are the Most underrated ppe. I have no idea why it's not more common.

I hate black boogers. For a little while I was happy for covid because I didn't look weird with a mask on while working . I prefer a mask for allergies than taking meds. I react pretty strong to elm and pine pollen. An n 95 provides instant relief to pollen allergies and I can work in the middle of it.
 
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I'm trying to be better about at least throwing on a buff if chipping dead/dusty material, but I have absolutely made it standard procedure to wear an N95 when running the string trimmer around my house because it gives me a HUGE reduction in allergy symptoms.
 
climbingmonkey24 said:
This might seem like an odd question, but any of you ever have anxiety about being questioned or mocked for wearing a mask on the job when around others who don’t because of the present climate?

Recently I was watching some lawn mowing / landscaping videos and the guy always wears some sort of mask I think because of allergies, and I was scrolling through the comments and was surprised at the amount of people who didn’t understand why he was wearing a mask in the first place even though it’s obvious. Or making sarcastic comments in reference to COVID, etc.

It’s as if some people have forgotten that long before COVID, masks had other uses besides trying to prevent illness. And nowadays they tend to be associated with politics instead of PPE.

Then again, not sure how serious you can take the comment section on social media, which I try to remember isn’t an accurate representation of every person you may encounter in-person.
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Yeah, saints preserve us when the next pandemic comes. Folks will either be too ignorant to wear masks, or hesitant to wear one because they are surrounded by that ignorance. They're your lungs: To hell with what others think!

My wife just got over COVID so we've been wearing masks in crowded situations. And there are many folks with co-mortalities that must/should wear them. That said, we may not even have the option if trump gets back in office: He'll probably ban masks altogether . . .
 
Bart_ said:
Aside from spray foam if you're in broken roofs keep an eye out for the possibility of fiberglass dust and disturbing mold up to airborne. Also pressure treated lumber sawdust - more of a fence and deck thing.
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In attics, esp. in older areas watch out for old zonolite - it has asbestos in it. Big lawsuits over this in the past.

In another Buzz thread earlier somewhere, I'm sorry I can't remember who said - "Remember if you're not wearing a filter mask, you are the filter!" Great quote.

On allergies, we had a case many years ago of a City summer student worker who was helping clean out an old Lancaster bomber out by the airport - it had tons of bird droppings in it. The young man was a non-declared asthmatic who in spite of masking up, went home feeling ill after shift, lay down but did not wake up by the time his parents returned home from work that night. He passed away from pulmonary oedema - his lungs filled with fluid from his asthma, due to the proteins in the bird droppings (a syndrome called bird fanciers lung). Total waste of a life. That case still sticks with me years later.
 
Bart_ said:
Isn't there also mouse poop borne and raccoon poop borne viruses? Mouse poop maybe in an attic.
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A guy I worked with almost died from hanta virus. Popped up through a squirrel nest of all things. Didn't think anything of it until he couldn't breathe and started having seizures. Was in the hospital 3 months. Scary shit.

I try to wear a buff. I get complacent. I got blood poisoning chipping poison ivy years ago. I remember when I'm working around something like sycamore, but when I've got chips blowing in my face and blasting around my glasses I seem to just take it and hold my breath. Probably isn't the best thing long term. I hate wearing masks though.
 
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