take a
deep
breath
by Neil McMillan
Neil McMillan explains why the new
Airshield respirator is an essential part
of the woodworker’s tool kit
How it Works
he Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) classifies all
wood dusts as toxic and
possibly harmful, especially when a
person is exposed to it for long
periods. As well as the risk posed by
dust itself there is also the risk of
material being ejected under force
during any machining operation,
possibly resulting in serious facial and
eye injuries.
It is therefore essential to wear
protection against these dangers,
ideally in the form of a combined
respiratory filter and full face visor.
The new Trend Airshield battery
powered respirator and visor offers
both, incorporating a clear view
polycarbonate visor for full eye and
face protection from impact, together
with a fan powered
respirator to filter
harmful dust from
the atmosphere.
T
The Airshield is
supplied in a draw
string plastic bag to
keep it clean when
not in use.
One 4 hour battery
and battery charger
are also included.
The Airshield works by circulating
a constant flow of filtered clean air
over the operators face, allowing
them to breath normally without
inhaling harmful particles. The
respirator has a minimum air flow
rate of 140 litres per minute,
although when fully charged this is
increased to as much as 180 litres
per minute. To ensure that the
respirator continues to perform to
these safe levels, the air flow rate
can be regularly checked using the
airflow indicator supplied with the
unit.
One other major benefit of using a
fan assisted respirator rather than
goggles, plain visors and dust masks
(those of you who wear spectacles
will know what I mean), is that it
Switch
prevents the visor (or your glasses)
from misting up.
The respirator is fitted with dual
filtration, circulating the contaminated
air through both a pre-filter and main
filter to remove a high percentage of
air-born particles. The air is drawn
through the unit by a motor/fan
designed specifically to ensure quiet
running and power efficiency.
Powered by a rechargeable four hour
NiCad battery that can be detached
for recharging, the unit is designed to
accommodate an optional second
four hour battery to upgrade the
running time to eight hours
continuous. Alternatively one
battery can be removed and
recharged, ready to be exchanged for
the other to provide continuous
Battery
Headband
Rear
Comfort
Pad
Ratchet
Fan/Motor
Unit
Sweatband
(inside)
Visor
with visor
overlay
Headband
Adjustment
Knob
Filters
Face Seal
Autumn 2000