Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) encompasses a range of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect the wearer’s mouth, nose, and respiratory system. This can include respirators, face masks, helmets, hoods, and visors.
RPE equipment is primarily used to avoid or filter out potentially harmful substances and particles in the air. This can include dust, vapours, mists, gases, and metal fumes. However, since there are various types of RPE mask, some are specially equipped to protect against particular types of airborne contaminants.