Kestryl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2019
Sure, at least N95 respirators should be form fit. Our surgical masks are not, and our work-site approval does not allow us to simply swap them out for cloth because handmade cloth masks are not regulated in any way.Which SHOULD let in even LESS air then the homemade cloth masks.
I think it’s fair to wonder how the long-term wearing of a mask- especially those that are not regulated in any way- can affect a user. Especially a new user who has zero formal training. Again, there’s a big difference between a trained nurse changing out their medical mask regularly and some random person off the the street wearing a handmade covering of varying quality.
Anecdotally, my employer has stated that they have had “several” cases of employees fainting while wearing cloth masks around office areas in the past month. The last time someone fainted on our site while wearing a mask was supposedly six years ago. They still recommend wearing face coverings, but they are concerned that there seems to be an increase in medical calls on fainting and dizziness with increased cloth mask use.
I’m wearing a cloth mask when I have to be around people, but I’m also trained with our standard PPE and recognize that I’m struggling more in a cotton cloth mask and I have to step away and take a mask-free breather regularly to prevent becoming another number in our safety tally at work.