Are AR/FR COVID-19 Face Masks Considered PPE?

June 8, 2020

At Tyndale, our priority has always been protecting America’s workers. Since COVID-19 began spreading in the US, we heard the call and moved quickly to design, manufacture, and ship arc-rated and flame resistant (AR / FR) face masks. So far, we’ve shipped close to a million AR / FR masks toward our ultimate goal of helping to protect impacted workers across the US.

But introducing PPE to curb the spread of the virus has raised an important question: can AR / FR face masks replace your normal AR / FR head, face, and neck protection – like balaclavas, neck gaiters, and face shields?

The answer to this question is absolutely not.

AR / FR COVID-19 face masks are advantageous because they do not pose a flammability risk, but AR / FR COVID-19 face masks are not designed to be arc flash or flash fire protection.
Always use the head, neck, and face PPE prescribed by your company’s hazard analysis and safety policy.

Scott Margolin, Vice President of Technical, explains in this short video:

Why aren’t AR / FR face masks intended as arc flash or flash fire PPE? It comes down to size:

AR / FR COVID-19 face masks don’t protect enough of your face to substitute other PPE that’s designed specifically for your head, face, and neck.
Using your mask in place of your traditional head/neck/face PPE would be like relying on an AR / FR vest to protect your upper body in place of an AR / FR shirt.

Instead, AR / FR face masks are COVID-19 PPE, working in two ways to curb the spread of COVID-19 while not posing a flammability hazard:

Eliminating the wearer’s ability to touch his/her nose and mouth, making it harder to introduce or spread virus particles
Reducing droplets and particulates inhaled or exhaled by the wearer

For more information on mask safety, watch our instructional video. And, be sure to monitor our online library of AR / FR COVID-19 safety information for other important resources.