Holey Mask - Great Gap-sy
How Much Protection Can a Mask Provide? Mask vs. PPE - Ep. 05 (Removed from YT)
FACIAL COVERINGS AND AEROSOLIZED VIRUSES
Face coverings are also not a control method for an aerosolized virus. Masks are not rated or capable of having a proper seal; literature states that masks cannot be sealed and do not meet any of the basic provisions of the Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134). In addition, they create a greater hazard and increase rates of infection. This is something that OSHA is guilty of ignoring, but many professionals in our field are fighting these mandates all over the country. We have personally helped end mandates in three states, because we are considered experts on Respiratory Protection, source control, and PPE, and we know the science that has existed since the 1970s. It is highly negligent to view vaccines and/or face coverings as control methods, as neither falls on the Hierarchy of Safety and Controls. Masks come in all types of materials and sizes and not one single real-world randomized control trial with metadata analysis supports the data that a "mask" can stop the spread of Covid.
It is important to note that all mask studies to date that claim masks work to slow or stop the spread of Covid-19, have been conducted in a laboratory under various conditions, but all place the mask on a mannequin or fixture that is perfectly sealed. In the real world, gaps always exist between the mask and the skin; masks that seal are called respirators. Literature shows that real masks with gap areas of 2% of the mask area, with low effectiveness to start with, have reduced effectiveness to 75%, and at 3% gap area, that value drops to essentially no effectiveness.
Given the fact that most masks are worn improperly, there is a variety of porous cloth fabrics that do nothing to stop the tiny SARS COV-2 virion, and people are not trained on how to properly don and doff, use, and wear them, creating an increased risk of infection through fomite and cross-contamination, it is no wonder that masks have done nothing to slow or stop the spread of this virus, rather, they have increased infection rates and prolonged achieving herd immunity.
Professionals within our fields conducted extensive calculations and have determined, via Stoke's Law, that aerosols can stay suspended in the air for several hours and days. This is why engineering controls with increased air exchanges, under ASHRAE guidance, are recommended by IHs and Engineers. The first thing an IH must consider when implementing controls is whether or not the controls are safe, and will it work to control the hazard at hand. Masks are not safe for prolonged use and improper use and handling can cause the small particulates and aerosols to be suspended in the ambient air. This science is presented on the Rumble Channel of Stephen Petty, PE, CIH, CSP. How Much Protection Can a Mask Provide? Mask vs. PPE - Ep.05 (Removed from YT) (rumble.com); real solutions, industrial hygiene solutions are noted inEpisode 06. Both OSHA and the CDC know this information. The CDC cites a study to prove masks as source control with flawed studies that involved asking a female to close her mouth, not move her head and breathe through her nose. This does not represent real-world use and no seal can exist with a mask, which is why respirators are rated through NIOSH. Not only were these parameters removed from the study, but their equipment was also out of calibration. This is information the general public should be made aware of. OSHA also knows this, which is why they created their PPE and Respiratory Protection Standards in the 1970s!
