Editing Respirator (section)

== Summary of modern respirators ==
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[[File:N95-respirator-protection-types-508.jpg|thumb|400px|Types of respirators by physical form.  Click to enlarge.]]

All respirators have some type of facepiece held to the wearer's head with straps, a cloth harness, or some other method.  Facepieces come in many different styles and sizes to accommodate all types of face shapes.

A full facepiece covers the mouth, nose and eyes and if sealed, is sealed round the perimeter of the face. Unsealed versions may be used when air is supplied at a rate which prevents ambient gas from reaching the nose or mouth during inhalation.

Respirators can have half-face forms that cover the bottom half of the face including the nose and mouth, and full-face forms that cover the entire face. Half-face respirators are only effective in environments where the contaminants are not toxic to the eyes or facial area.

An [[escape respirator]] may have no component that would normally be described as a mask, and may use a bite-grip mouthpiece and nose clip instead. Alternatively, an escape respirator could be a time-limited [[#Self-contained breathing apparatus|self-contained breathing apparatus]].

For hazardous environments, like [[confined space]]s, atmosphere-supplying respirators, like [[#Self-contained breathing apparatus|SCBAs]], should be used.

A wide range of industries use respirators including healthcare & pharmaceuticals, defense & public safety services (defense, firefighting & law enforcement), oil and gas industries, manufacturing (automotive, chemical, metal fabrication, food and beverage, wood working, paper and pulp), mining, construction, agriculture and forestry, cement production, power generation, painting, shipbuilding, and the textile industry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/os/osnr0014.txt|title=Respirator use and practices|website=U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics|access-date=29 March 2020|archive-date=17 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017155428/https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/os/osnr0014.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>

Respirators require user training in order to provide proper protection.