IMPORTANT: Here's a potential source for filter masks.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

Last edited Sun Mar 22, 2020, 11:37 AM - Edit history (2)

There's probably a lot of N95s stored away in industry that can be freed up.

Any plant or construction company may have masks warehoused for industrial use but someone would need to request them.

They are used by the thousands in plants like power plants, paper mills, cement plants and others where dust is involved during routine or maintenance work. They are kept in plant store rooms, maintenance shops and safety offices. I used quite a lot of these during my service work jobs, along with half-face and full-face respirators.

Another potential source would be construction firms that do work in the plants mentioned above and they keep many of them either in a company warehouse or in their construction trailers.

Many of these plants will be slowed or shut down and I really think plant managers would be willing to donate.

I have no idea how a logical connection could be made between medical people and these sources, but government seems the rational path.

All it would take is a call to a plant manager with an explanation of the dire circumstances and I bet they would donate most of what they have in stores to EMTs, clinics and hospitals.

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(added 3/22/20)

This page from WW Grainger gives us an idea of what they were selling for prior to the big rush:

Link: https://www.grainger.com/search/safety/respiratory-protection/disposable-respirators-and-dust-masks?attrs=Respirator+Filter+Class%7CN95&filters=attrs&optOut=0

Looks like $2 or less in lots of 20 was quite common.

KY.............

[emmaverybo]

1. Auto shops. See for detailing, etc. My partner is an electrical contractor. He had only one I

discovered in his truck. Those industries you mentioned great idea. Would you tweet this? There were a few at twitter who seems v. serious about coordinating an effort, taking the ball themselves
and rolling with it.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

3. Feel free to pass it on because I don't use social media.

I would guess many of these companies have many dozens of these masks if not hundreds in stores warehouses. They keep a lot around for regular maintenance and scheduled outages.

Same with Tyvek protective suits. They buy them by multiple case lots and in two or three sizes.

Chemical plants would have lots of rubber gloves.

These are a few of the types of plant that would have this stuff in quantities:

* Power plants.

* Paper mills.

* Cement plants.

* Steel and aluminum mills.

* Grain and food production plants where grains and flour are handled.

* Glass plants.

* Chemical plants of all sorts.

* Refineries.

* Mines and ore refining plants and rock crusher plants.

Other:

* Industrial construction companies.

* Industrial service companies.

* Industrial vacuum truck and hazardous waste companies.

If you call such companies, ask for their plant manager, assistant manager or the chief safety officer.

I know these things because I worked in those industries for many years and used those items.

[Kablooie]

2. Harbor freight sold them too.

Out of stock now of course but they were a common hardware item.

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. Hardware stores also

used for spray painting, epoxy glue, etc fumes, sawdust...I saw quite a few left, last week, at our small local ACE Hardware.
We are a small out of the way town, lots of people who were liberating Wal-Mart of all its TP did not think about other places for masks, it seemed.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

5. Yes, lots of places carry a few of them as you say.

Frankly, if the medical people are desperate I'm surprised the retail chains have not had their stores return what they have for redistribution, if the packages are not opened.

Because these masks will not be sterile and not processed through medical supply chains, the companies may not want to take on the potential liability. I brought that issue up the other day on another thread and got hammered pretty bad but we don't want stuff going out to hospitals that might harm the doctors and nurses.

[Hekate]

7. True enough. But they're between a rock and a hard place right now.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

10. Yes, I don't think they will be picky from what I'm reading.

During all those years I was out on maintenance and construction jobs, I've seen thousands of those things tossed away like Dixie cups along with Tyvek suits. I'm shocked that this nation does not have a huge emergency stockpile......somewhere.

I strongly suspect the military and some high-tech government facilities have tons of them in storage, too.

[Hekate]

6. Off to the Greatest page -- 5th Rec

[Drahthaardogs]

8. I have 2 left I kept in the shop for sweeping

I would donste, but they have been used

[Captain Zero]

9. Call home remodeling companies?

I hear they are losing orders due to potential customers uncedtainty with finances and not being allowed in homes where people are isolating.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

11. Home remediation companies would have the most....

meaning those that do remediation from fire, water and mold damage.

Painting and drywall companies use them to but maybe not N95 grade.