www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Why is it that PPE (in my case a need for a dust mask) is so f*****g expensive? Talk about taking the p1ss. A simple dust mask - a couple of sheets of 'paper' and one of cotton, held together with a slice of aluminium - cost me £8 OK, so it's not a great deal of cash but a basic plastic mask with attached filters was £32 to £42 I get the impression the manufacturers/retailers are taking the mickey out of a basic need for people to protect themselves.

If ever there was a need for CHEAP products then surely PPE should be it? I was almost tempted to stick with my strip of old t-shirt tied across my face....... Mrs k_e 'made' me buy the 'proper' mask.

Of course, calls for "what price your health?" may be forthcoming but surely there's a need for restraint in pricing these things?

Where did you pay that?

They are cheap 10 for £6 http://www.screwfix.com/p/moulded-masks-ffp1-pk10/76422

Or if you want real cheap disposables 50 for £5 http://www.screwfix.com/p/comfort-masks ... f-50/55489

kellys_eye wrote: but surely there's a need for restraint in pricing these things?

I would expect that the large majority of sales of these items is to large corporations - the price is whatever they can get away with.

I'm often staggered by the prices revealed for many things in the corporate world - not talking dust masks or their like here but the millions that are oft quoted for projects/surveys/reports etc.

My own fault for using Homebase on this occasion (desperation).

I don't require masks on a daily basis, the one I've now purchased will probably do me until the job is finished, but I still can't help feeling I've been 'done'......

darrenba wrote:Where did you pay that?

They are cheap 10 for £6 http://www.screwfix.com/p/moulded-masks-ffp1-pk10/76422

Or if you want real cheap disposables 50 for £5 http://www.screwfix.com/p/comfort-masks ... f-50/55489

Them real cheap ones you are better off with a t shirt wrapped round your face

I always use a min of ffp2 grade masks, ATM I'm using http://www.screwfix.com/p/28-day-a1p2-mask/14194 decent mask but you have to throw it away after 28 days


Infact it's this mask. http://www.screwfix.com/p/mdf-mask/21462

kellys_eye wrote:My own fault for using Homebase........ I still can't help feeling I've been 'done'......

Really???

Only because you have been.....

I was given a cartridge mask, the mask itself is cheap...the filters for this one aren't.....3M mask...something like £30+ for 3 sets of vapour filters...plus another £6 to £10 for 5 or 10 sets of dust filters
works damned well though, no smell of dust at all, and easy to breathe unlike the disposable ones...

http://www.arco.co.uk/products/112300 << thats a single set of vapour filters for the mask I have, mask itself is a 3M 6200 half mask.
Good piece of kit and well recommended.....terrifies the hell out of the dog though, sound like darth vader while wearing it...

scot-canuck wrote:..terrifies the hell out of the dog though, sound like darth vader while wearing it...

I just have to get one of these. Our dog goes mental when the missus gets the hoover out. He'll go absolutely ape if I put one of them on.


(love him to bits really)

I'll have to get one too - to put on the missus!

After what I ate last night, I could get a job at 3M testing those gas filters.....

BG