Health tips for coping with the haze III – using N95 masks

There are still many people unclear on what masks to use during the current haze environmental problem. While normal 3-ply surgical masks or even handkerchiefs may give a sense of protection, they are in actual fact not good for filtering out the tiny particles which are suspended in the air.

This video shows the difference between face masks and respirators

The best type of mask are those which conform to NIOSH N95 standards and these N95 respirators will filter out more than 95% of the tiny airborne particles. You can buy these from your local pharmacy and they are more pricey (RM5-10 per mask) but afford far better protection.

Here’s a useful instructional video on how to wear an N95 mask/respirator and perform a user seal check to make sure you are wearing it properly. Improper use of the respirator will render it ineffective.

http://youtu.be/W6__Xv7Dvz8

Protect yourself. Haze is extremely hazardous to your health. Haze deaths rise as air pollution increases