3M
RESPIRATORS

What are 3M respirators?

Filtering facepiece respirators (FFR), which are sometimes called disposable respirators, are subject to various regulatory standards around the world. These standards specify certain required physical properties and performance characteristics in order for respirators to claim compliance with the particular standard. During pandemic or emergency situations, health authorities often reference these standards when making respirator recommendations, stating, for example, that certain populations should use an “N95, FFP2, or equivalent” respirator. 

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How the respirators came to be.

The 1860 and 1860S healthcare respirators are designed to help provide respiratory protection for the wearer against certain airborne particles. They meet CDC guidelines for Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure control. As disposable particulate respirators, they are intended to reduce wearer exposure to certain airborne particles including those generated by electrocautery, laser surgery, and other powered medical instruments. As surgical masks, they are designed to be fluid resistant to splash and spatter of blood and other infectious materials.

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The 1860 and 1860S particulate respirators are personal protective equipment (PPE) that are primarily intended to protect the health care workers by reducing exposure to harmful airborne particles which are small enough to be inhaled – typically particles less than 100 microns in size. These include airborne particles that may contain biological material e.g. Bacillus anthracis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mould, and the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Influenza.

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