ABOUT THE MASK LAB
The Mask Lab is a venture by Control Print Limited, India’s own Coding & Marking Manufacturing Company. Founded in 1991, and listed on the NSE and BSE with 2 factories and 11 branch office and presence in 5 countries.
We have a factory at Nalagarh, HP, India
The Medical Grade Masks will be tested by SITRA, Coimbatore and will meet the international standard for medical grade masks – ASTM F 2100-11 with Level -2 Protection.
We also have a CE Certification for PPE (Personal Protection Devices) & MD (Medical Devices), ISO 13485 for Quality Management Systems & EN – 149 for FFP 1 and FFP 2.
By July ’20 we will be NIOSH certified N95 & BIS certified IS 9473
Surgical Masks – 4,00,000 per day
FFP2 Masks – 50,000 per day
For Surgical Masks it is 1,000 Masks
For FFP2 Masks it is 4,00 Masks
Within a weeks’ time from receipt of PO and deposit.
General Questions
Once it has infected someone, the Sars-CoV-2 virus responsible for the disease hijacks their cells to replicate itself. As it multiplies, these new virus particles then burst out of the cells and become suspended in the bodily fluids in our lungs, mouth and nose. When an infected person coughs, they can send showers of tiny droplets – known as aerosols – filled with the virus into the air.
A single sneeze can produce 40,000 droplets and a single cough can produce up to 3,000 droplets. There are fears the virus can also be spread simply through speaking. One recent study showed that we spray thousands of droplets invisible to the naked eye into the air just by speaking.
Once out of our mouths, many of the larger droplets will quickly settle onto nearby surfaces while smaller ones remain suspended in the air for hours, where they can be breathed in. While the behavior of the virus-filled droplets in rooms with air conditioning and outside environments are less well understood, they are thought to settle on surfaces more quickly in disturbed air. There are also some reports that the coronavirus can spread through ventilation systems in buildings.
The Sars-CoV-2 virus has been found to survive in these aerosol droplets for at least three hours, according to one study at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But a more recent, but as yet unpublished study, has found that the Sars-CoV-2 virus is still infectious for more than 16 hours after being suspended in aerosol droplets. It found the virus was “remarkably resilient in aerosol form” compared to other similar coronaviruses they studied.
Together, they suggest that in the right conditions, the virus can linger in the air for several hours and still infect people if breathed in. And in indoor environments, they seem to be particularly prone to spreading through the air.
An unpublished analysis of 318 outbreaks of Covid-19 in China showed that it was most commonly transmitted in indoor environments, particularly in people’s homes, but also on public transport, in restaurants, cinemas and shops.
Genetic material from Sars-CoV-2 has also been detected in the air in toilets and rooms used by people infected with Covid-19. One study of a cluster of cases that occurred in a restaurant in Guangzhou, China, suggests that in poorly ventilated spaces the virus can spread to people sitting in the immediate vicinity through airborne aerosol droplets.
Face masks could help to reduce transmission in the community particularly if used in public transport and crowded areas. The mask helps as a reminder to the wearer not to accidentally touch their mouth or nose, which could otherwise transfer viruses and bacteria after having touched a contaminated surface. These masks can prevent contracting of seasonal influenza or similar ‘droplet’ or aerosol borne infections and ‘air-borne’ infections reducing absence from work or lower productivity due to illness.
- The mask should not be soiled, damaged, torn or be difficult to breath in. if so then it should be disposed of immediately
- It is recommended that the mask worn for up to 8 hours, but cheaper masks are effective for only 3 hours
- If the user is sick themselves and is choosing to wear to protect other people from their illness, then we would suggest disposing of the product immediately after use.
- If user is wearing only for a few hours then it can be reused for a few days.
ALL INDUSTRIES – These Mask can be used in Pharmaceuticals, Foods, Beverages, Personal Care, Hospitality, Transportation, Textiles, and Cement & Construction
A surgical/procedure mask is designed to protect the nose and mouth from sprays or splashes and provides protection from larger organisms such as those spread through the droplet route.
N95 NIOSH / FFP2 approved respirator protects the user from inhaling airborne hazards. N95s are used for Airborne precautions, not for Droplet precautions.
Cloth Masks do not perform as well as Surgical or N95 mask when it comes to preventing exposure to infected droplets in the air.
A tight fitting mask like N95 adds inspiratory resistance which increases the work of breathing. A mask which is not valved, changes the blood gas equation, and it leads to a special phenomena called PEEP (Positive End-Expiratory Pressure). This PEEP may lead to pneumothorax (punctured lungs), especially when there is too much strain on lungs, like when we are running, or doing strenuous exercise
The virus lives longest on plastic and steel, surviving for up to 72 hours. But the amount of viable virus decreases sharply over this time. 4 hours on Copper and 24 hours on Cardboard
Surgical masks: these masks are tested in the direction of exhalation (from inside to outside). The tests take into account the efficiency of bacterial filtration. They must meet the following regional standards:
- European standard EN 14683. According to this standard there are three types of effectiveness:
- Type 1 or BFE1 with a bacterial filtration efficiency of over 95%.
- Type 2 or BFE2 with a bacterial filtration efficiency of over 98%.
- Type R: the European standard also adds a test of resistance to projection for types 1R and 2R, 2R being the most resistant.
- In the United States surgical masks must comply with ASTM standards. There are three levels of protection:
- Level 1: for a low risk of exposure to fluids.
- Level 2: for a moderate risk of exposure to fluids.
- Level 3: for a high risk of exposure to fluids.
PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution). The term for a mixture of Solid Particles and Liquid Droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope.
Particle pollution includes:
- PM 10: Inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller. Found near roadways and dusty industries. The larger particles usually contain earth crust materials and dust from roads and industries. Traffic produces road dust and air turbulence that can stir up road dust. Near coasts, evaporation of sea spray can produce large particles. Pollen grains, mold spores, and plant and insect parts are all in this larger size range.The larger PM10 is inhalable and can get into our lungs, causing local and systemic inflammation in the respiratory system & heart, which in turn can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis
- PM 2.5: Fine Inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller. Largely formed from gases. Combustion, construction, wood burning, oil or coal heating or even forest and grass fires. In many cities, the reaction of gases at power plants. Smog, burning of charcoal/coke/biomass, pollens, fungus, viruses as well as some bacteriaOther indoor activities, such as tobacco smoke, candles, diesel and kerosene heaters also increase PM2.5 levelsCan get farther into our bodies, not just into the lungs, but can pass into the bloodstream as well, and be carried to organs of various systems, beyond the respiratory and cardiovascular systems (heart disease, heart attacks etc), reproductive issues , cancer etc
- PM 0.1: Ultrafine particles. Ultrafine particles are formed by nucleation, which is the initial stage in which gas becomes a particle. These particles can grow up to a size of 1µm either through condensation, when additional gas condensates on the particles, or through coagulation, when two or more particles combine to form a larger particleThe highest concentrations of PM 0.1 are found in welding facilities, machine shops, basic metal industries, traffic-related occupations, and restaurants
- How small is 2.5 micrometers?
Think about a single hair from your head. The average human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter – making it 30 times larger than the largest fine particle.
PM 1 – 5 microns in diameter can enter upper airways
0.1 – 1 micron particles enter lower lungs and alveolar ducts
These include carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and other organic chemicals. One of the most harmful components is a particulate matter that ranges in size from 0.4 – 2.5 microns. Accordingly, this is small enough to penetrate the human bloodstream via the lungs and can lead to increase in the risk of heart disease or strokes which is one of the main causes of death from air pollution. Similarly, there are other harmful gases such as formaldehyde and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) within the smoke.
Examples of particle size:
- Viruses 0.02 to 0.3 microns
- Bacteria 0.5 to 10 microns
- Mold spores 1 to 70 microns
- Fungi 2 to >200 microns
Particulate filter efficiency is based on ability to remove particles greater than 0.3 microns in diameter (medial aerodynamic diameter of 0.3 um)
Dust: Produced when solid materials are broken down into fine particles. The longer dust remains on the air, the easier it is to inhale
Mist: Tiny liquid droplets formed by atomization and condensation processes such as spraying. Often a combination of several hazardous ingredients.
Fume: Occurs when metals are vaporized under high heat. The vapor cools quickly and condenses into very fine particles that float in the air. When welding, in addition to the weld fume, Ozone may be given off during MIG and TIG processes. Ozone may cause nausea sickness and headaches.
Gases: are materials that exist as individual molecules in the air at room temperature. Examples are welding gases, such as acetylene and nitrogen, and carbon monoxide produced from internal combustion engines.
Vapors: are the gaseous form of substances that are normally in the solid or liquid state at room temperature and pressure. They are formed by evaporation. Most solvents produce vapors. Examples include toluene and methylene chloride.
Biological hazards: Include living organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and other organism. As well as dead organisms or parts of organisms.
One of the principal routes by which chemicals can enter the body is through inhalation.
The greatest source of SO2 in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels in power plants and other industrial facilities. Other sources include industrial processes such as extracting metal from ore, natural sources such as volcanoes, and locomotives, ships and other vehicles and heavy equipment that burn fuel with high sulphur content.
The study found the thermal power plants or clusters at Singrauli, Neyveli, Talcher, Jharsuguda, Korba, Kutch, Chennai, Ramagundam, Chandrapur, and Koradi to be the major emission hotspots in the country. The vast majority of plants in India lack flue-gas desulfurisation (FGD) technology to reduce air pollution, according to the report.
Surgical Masks Questions
TML masks have a Filter Layer made of Melt Blown Fabric and meets with ASTM F 2100-11 Standard with Level- 2 protection. The Melt Blown Fabric is the most important part of the mask that filters up-to 98% of the Bacteria with Particulate Size of up-to 0.1 Micron in size.
Others Mask may not have Filter layer and might not be as per ASTM Standard
A medical or surgical mask is a disposable medical device. It protects against infectious agents transmitted by “droplets.” However, it does not protect against “airborne” infectious agents. It will therefore not prevent the wearer from being potentially contaminated by a virus.
A surgical mask does two things:
- Prevents droplets of saliva or secretions from the upper respiratory tract when the wearer exhales. If worn by the caregiver, the surgical mask protects the patient and his or her environment (air, surfaces, equipment, surgical site). If worn by a contagious patient, it prevents the patient from contaminating his or her surroundings and environment.
- Protects the wearer from infection transmitted by “droplets” or from the risk of splashes of biological fluids. In the latter case, the surgical mask must have a waterproof layer. It can also be equipped with a visor to protect the eyes.
“Surgical” masks can be used in different fields – Surgery, Dentistry, Other medical procedures, In the case of isolation
Surgical Mask are made up of 3 Layers
- Layer 1 (Outer): 30 GSM Hydrophobic Spun-bond Non Woven Fabric PP – Medical Blue Colored
- Layer 2 (Middle): 25 GSM Electrostatic Melt-Blow PP –Snow White. Serves as a barrier against microbes from entering or existing the mask. This is the heart of the mask.
- Layer 3 (Inner): 30 GSM Hydrophilic Spun-bond Non Woven Fabric PP – White Colored. Used to absorb the moisture and moisture released by the wearer
This serves as a barrier against microbes from entering or existing on the mask. This is the Heart of the mask
No Layers don’t matter. What matters is the melt blown filter layer.
Yes it have a nose piece for securing the mask in place.
Yes it is secured by ear loops
No it is made of a Spun Bond Non Woven Polypropylene Fabric.
Check if it has a Filter layer which is made of Melt Blown Fabric and its Standard of Protection
There are two colors – Colored Side is on the Outside and White color on the Inside
N95 / EN 149 / IS 9473 Masks Questions
A respirator is a type of personal protective equipment. It prevents the wearer from inhaling aerosols (dust, smoke, mist) as well as vapours or gases (disinfectants, anaesthetic gases) that are health hazards. It also protects the wearer from airborne infectious agents i.e. against contamination by a virus such as coronavirus, SARS, H1N1, etc.
Respirators are divided into two categories: insulating and filtering.
Filtering respirators consist of a facepiece and a filtering device. Sometimes the filter element is integrated into the facepiece. Depending on the type of filter, the mask will either be effective only against particles, only against certain gases and vapors, or against particles, gases and vapors.
Filtering respirators can sometimes also be equipped with an exhalation valve to improve user comfort. The valve prevents condensation inside the mask, misting on the glasses and helps the user breathe in and out easily.
It should be noted that respirators also protect those who wear them from inhaling “droplets” of infectious agents.
- Layer 1: 100 GSM Tough Hydrophobic Polyester Non-Woven Outer for shape and fluid protection
- Layer 2: 40 GSM Hydrophobic Spunbond for broad filtration and additional fluid protection
- Layer 3: 35 GSM Highly Efficient Electrostatic Melt-Blown Media for Filtration 97% PFE@0.3 Microns
- Layer 4: 40 GSM Hydrophilic Spunbond for maximum user comfort
This serves as a barrier against microbes from entering or existing on the mask. This is the Heart of the mask
No Layers don’t matter. What matters is the melt blown filter layer.
Yes it have a nose piece for securing the mask in place.
Yes it is secured by ear loops
No it is made of a Spun Bond Non Woven Polypropylene Fabric.
Check if it has a Filter layer which is made of Melt Blown Fabric and its Standard of Protection
There are two colors – Colored Side is on the Outside and White color on the Inside
Yes, N95 face masks can protect against the virus if you wear and use them correctly. You need to fit them correctly so they are tight on the face.
These masks are thicker than a normal medical mask. However, they need to be fitted properly, and they are not designed to be used for a long period. 30 minutes is an average time to wear. Dispose of the face when it gets wet or dirty. A typical respiratory face mask will last over 1 week. Wear when you are near to other people, for example, in an office or when traveling on public transport.
Some users will have trouble breathing. You can’t wear N95, KN95 and FFP2 masks if you have a beard or stubble.
The EN 149 is European standard for masks, shows that they protect against dust, mist or fibres. The filters are tested to determine that they work properly. Leakage around the edges, breathing resistance and the uptake capacity are also tested.
Respirators: these masks are tested in the direction of inspiration (from outside to inside). The tests take into account the efficiency of the filter and leakage to the face. They must meet the following regional standards:
- European standard EN 149: 2001. According to this standard, there are three classes of disposable particulate respirators:
- FFP1: the least filtering of the three masks with an aerosol filtration of at least 80% and leakage to the inside of maximum 22%; it is mainly used as a dust mask (home renovations and various types of work).
- FFP2: minimum 94% filtration percentage and maximum 8% leakage to the inside; mainly used in construction, agriculture, the pharmaceutical industry and by healthcare professionals against influenza viruses or respiratory illnesses such as avian flu, SARS, pneumonic plague, tuberculosis and most recently the new coronavirus.
- FFP3: minimum filtration percentage of 99% and maximum 2% leakage to the inside; it is the most filtering mask of the FFPs and protects against very fine particles such as asbestos.
- In the United States, respirators must meet NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) standards. Within this standard, there are several classes of respirators depending on the degree of oil resistance:
- Class N: no oil resistance. A distinction is made between N95, N99 and N100. The number after the letter indicates the percentage of filtration of suspended particles.
- Class R: mask resistant to oil for up to eight hours. Here again, a distinction is made between R95, R99 and R100.
- Class P: a completely oil-resistant mask. There are also P95, P99 and P100.
In summary, they are basically all the same. They stop 95% of particles >0.3 microns in size. The N95 is the USA Code, KN95 is China code, KF94 is Korea code and FFP2 is the EU code, this includes the UK.