KN95 masks - Where to buy them from?

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Hi everyone,

We will be opening up our business again next week. It’s a customer facing business hence I would like to get some KN95 masks for my employees. Could anyone recommend a place where I can buy them in bulk? I don’t fancy ordering from China.
 

tom73

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Out of interest what part of your risk assessment lead you to the believe you need that level of protection ?
 

screenman

Legendary Member
Why not China? Do theirs not work. There are plenty of sellers on fleabay, my wife is a podiatrist and uses a facemask, they have gone from about a £5 to £38. That is why I am asking about the China bit.
 
OP
OP
R

Ralphy9207

Member
Why not China? Do theirs not work. There are plenty of sellers on fleabay, my wife is a podiatrist and uses a facemask, they have gone from about a £5 to £38. That is why I am asking about the China bit.

I mean I don’t want to order directly from China as their delivery time is too long at the moment. I ended up buying a box of 50 from www.Medflex.co.uk which a mate of mine just recommended. Surprised how cheap they’re selling it for at £2 a mask for the n95 ones!
 

Drago

Legendary Member
The idea of wearing a mask is so the wearer does not inadvertently contaminate someone else, although the effect is only slight as the lergie can be carried on droplets smaller than water vapour which will not be impeded by cotton etc.

To protect your staff they'll need their eyes and ears covered, idealy their entire head, as well as being gloved and suited up. Then they'll need to be trained how to remove it without contaminating themselves or causing cross-contamination, and how to safely dispose without causing cross-contamination. A mask on its own, even an actual respirator such as a KN95 or higher spec item, will do nothing to protect your staff. If one of your staff has been in the military it's likely they'll be NBC trained (or if in the police or Trumpton CBRN trained) and can give proper advice on that.
 

tom73

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
We’re in retail, so a lot of customer facing roles.


You don't need N95 for day to day customer facing roles basic grade surgical masks will be more than enough or even cloth ones. You can even buy a bulk set of branded ones.
So you also intend to get someone who is trained* to come and train you, your staff in how to use them and carry out individual FIT tests?
Along with other aspects of infection control inc suitable clinical waste provision.
N95 or FFP3 are no use at all unless used and fitted correctly. You also will need to carry out individual risk assessments and identify staff that will need removing from customer facing roles. With Covid we now know medical conditions are not the only risk factor.
You need to have options for staff who fails a FIT test you can't give them something different and the rest a N95 can you?
You're going to need a fair few as they need changing every 4 hours or sooner if they get wet or damp in mean time.
N95 or FFP3 belong in clinical or care roles outside that type of environment they are not really a solution.
Outside clinical environments infection control get's complex and messy once you move past the basics.
Save the stocks we have for ones who really need them. PPE is still not reaching them.

•by trained I mean someone who's not been a crash course to cash in on the current situation.
 

DiddlyDodds

Random Resident
Location
Littleborough
 
The idea of wearing a mask is so the wearer does not inadvertently contaminate someone else, although the effect is only slight as the lergie can be carried on droplets smaller than water vapour which will not be impeded by cotton etc.

To protect your staff they'll need their eyes and ears covered, idealy their entire head, as well as being gloved and suited up. Then they'll need to be trained how to remove it without contaminating themselves or causing cross-contamination, and how to safely dispose without causing cross-contamination. A mask on its own, even an actual respirator such as a KN95 or higher spec item, will do nothing to protect your staff. If one of your staff has been in the military it's likely they'll be NBC trained (or if in the police or Trumpton CBRN trained) and can give proper advice on that.

Over here in Portugal the wearing of masks by everyone is compulsory and, as you say, the idea is to protect others - in a reduced risk goal. If everyone is wearing one, then the spread of droplets between people is lessened. It needs full compliance though since a fabric mask contaminated by another not wearing one can be more of a liability in itself for the wearer, of course.

So the idea here is everyone has a mask - cheap as chips, made locally, available disposable or washable - and we do our best to maintain 1-2m social distancing too, so that the combination has a greater reduced risk effect.

Now, our masks are not N95 to protect Healthcare resources. As noted, the strategy is somewhat different to protecting the wearer. Our shops and businesses have also largely adopted the wearing of a transparent curved plastic screen attached to a headband - this gives them full 'freedom' behind the screen, more comfortable to wear and stops spread in front of them completely. I guess backsplash and side spread are an issue though, but again, the aim is not to eliminate but to reduce.
 
Your staff will be very uncomfortable wearing those masks all day. They should only be used for the specific tasks they are designed for and then removed.
 
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