Which guys bother with dust masks when mixing, grinding, sweeping up, etc., etc....

I'm as old school as they come, but have had a bit of a scare lately after grinding a concrete floor without wearing a mask

My Step-MIL is a nurse up here and did her nut and said (obviosly) that I should ALWAYS wear a mask in my job

Now I know it's not always practical and I have no intention of wearing one when I'm, say, serating, but am seriously looking into the various kinds of mask for mixing and when sweeping up, etc....

Been looking at these two:

Personal Protection from engelbert strauss

Personal Protection from engelbert strauss

i always wear a mask when bullnosing/honeing and cutting cement boards, just a normal particle mask/aspirator

Grinding a concrete floor without a mask ? thats crazy.
I dont wear one to mix adhesive , just hold ya breath till u get some clean air going past .

I wear a mask when grinding cutting or drilling anything cementeous now after finding out silicosis, possibility of hidden asbestos etc...

Allways keep masks in the van if required

I've normally only ever used them paper disposables, until I was told that they had been officially proven to be a waste of time....
Just ordered a one of these:


Oh and a pair of Alpros

very guilty of not using them, they irritate me (lame excuse I know), but I tend to hold my breath when I'm doing anything like that anyway, (same as I do when I'm typing out a post on here, glad I'm not Ajax!)

Originally Posted by doug boardley

very guilty of not using them, they irritate me (lame excuse I know), but I tend to hold my breath when I'm doing anything like that anyway, (same as I do when I'm typing out a post on here, glad I'm not Ajax!)

mask most of the time,ear defenders all the time.

now you have me thinking!! i don't use them for mixing we are mad holding our breath!!

use ffp3 for best protection against fine dust. moldex are best reuseable paper mask. arco are good also

I think dust is a big killer! Really not good for us! I should wear a mask more often

Originally Posted by Bolter

I think dust is a big killer! Really not good for us! I should wear a mask more often

Yep but it generally won't kill you for thirty years........wear a mask ya daft bu***rs

Originally Posted by doug boardley

very guilty of not using them, they irritate me (lame excuse I know), but I tend to hold my breath when I'm doing anything like that anyway, (same as I do when I'm typing out a post on here, glad I'm not Ajax!)

No way! I do that loads! - glad I've found another weirdo! I have to tell Laura about this!

I do that too at the initial pouring it from the bag to when it starts mixing in with the water and turning my head round occasionally for a breath. Pretty nasty alkaline stuff adhesive is. I've seen what it can do to skin so God knows what it can do to your lungs.

hold my breath when mixing

put my ipod on when drilling or cutting

Motorhead full blast

must work as i cant hear the cutter

I always were a dust mask for mixing, grinding sanding or sweeping etc.....asthmatic so it makes sense to me. Ear defs when grinding or wet saw (usually!)

Originally Posted by chrisroe

hold my breath when mixing

put my ipod on when drilling or cutting

Motorhead full blast

must work as i cant hear the cutter

If it's that loud you probably need to turn it down a bit as that alone with maker you deaf before long lol

I don't wear a mask when mixing......... that's what apprentices are for, but he wears one most of the time when mixing and polishing after grouting.

used to but it frightened the customers....suppose a dust mask would've been better than the gimp mask

Originally Posted by Dan

No way! I do that loads! - glad I've found another weirdo! I have to tell Laura about this!

quite often Lou will nudge me awake in the middle of the night and tell me that I've not been breathing for a while

Originally Posted by doug boardley

quite often Lou will nudge me awake in the middle of the night and tell me that I've not been breathing for a while

Thats called sleep apnea

Sleep Apnea: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes, and Cures

Originally Posted by Bolter

Thats called sleep apnea

Sleep Apnea: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes, and Cures

I certainly tick those boxes!

Originally Posted by doug boardley

I certainly tick those boxes!

My Dad suffered with it for years (since teenage life) and was only till he was researching his snoring problem that he discovered sleep apnea, and then it clicked, and my mum reported the stopping breathing thing. Went to the doctors, they sent him for tests at a "sleep clinic" and now he is all cured.

So from having 6 broken hours of sleep a night for 40 years, he now sleeps like a baby for 8 hours a night. And my poor Mum can sleep aswell haha!

I take a deep breath in, pour in the addy and then blow the dust out of the bucket.

I have just bought a mask similar to the one above, although it was a Scott mask Trouble is it didnt fit very well and i guess i must have a little head. Nothing wrong wtih a little head in my book.....

Originally Posted by SandyFloor

I do that too at the initial pouring it from the bag to when it starts mixing in with the water and turning my head round occasionally for a breath. Pretty nasty alkaline stuff adhesive is. I've seen what it can do to skin so God knows what it can do to your lungs.

Weber Low Dust is a big help!

Took delivery of this mask yesterday:



Put it straight into action today when I have been finishing a terracotta floor I have been doing - loads of cuts to get finished so LOTS of dust as I have been using my grinder

I must say the masks performance was excellent Good seal around the nose and mouth with the soft rubber moulding of the mask and its like breathing totally fresh air even in the dustiest of conditions It's a little heavier than the standard paper masks I've used in the past, but WELL worth itAt the end of the day I could really see what I would have breathed in, as the external face of the filters were totally a tangerine colour from the cotta dust

Well worth the investment

Originally Posted by merlecollins

Took delivery of this mask yesterday:



Put it straight into action today when I have been finishing a terracotta floor I have been doing - loads of cuts to get finished so LOTS of dust as I have been using my grinder



I must say the masks performance was excellent Good seal around the nose and mouth with the soft rubber moulding of the mask and its like breathing totally fresh air even in the dustiest of conditions It's a little heavier than the standard paper masks I've used in the past, but WELL worth itAt the end of the day I could really see what I would have breathed in, as the external face of the filters were totally a tangerine colour from the cotta dust

Well worth the investment

Halloween has finished Merle

Originally Posted by Scottley

Halloween has finished Merle

Long gone are the days when I was bothered what I look like Scott mate - it's all about longevity of life now

With that and your mask in your avatar should make a pleasant image