Personal-issue facepieces are now an affordable safety measure, thanks to the latest MSA G1 facepiece, designed specifically to eliminate expensive electronic components to enhance its cost-effectiveness.

The new design also minimises the weight of the facepiece itself, which reduces stress and fatigue, and improves workers’ overall performance level, comments MSA Africa Sales Manager Christiaan Hugo. This design also means there are no electronic components on the outside of the facepiece that may result in snag and entanglement hazards.

As an additional safety feature, the MSA G1 facepiece is equipped with cross-contamination prevention to reduce the spread of illness when facepieces are shared among workers. When used in conjunction with the MSA G1 Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), it is also equipped with a speaking diaphragm to increase speech clarity while off-air.

“The new MSA G1 facepiece is not only lightweight and compact, with a low overall profile design, but it is also comfortable and built to last,” Hugo adds. It is based on the design features of the MSA Ultra Elite facepiece, including a wide field of view and comfortable, robust seal geometry.

The MSA G1 facepiece is ideal for new SCBA users. “A challenge, especially for new users, is that they often feel overwhelmed. The idea behind the tight fit, of course, is so that no contaminants enter the mask,” Hugo explains. An open port provides low breathing resistance, both on and off air. This means that the MSA G1 facepiece helps end users conserve energy for when they need it most.

In addition, the new facepiece has been designed specifically to be used in conjunction with existing MSA demand valves and differing connectors, such as threaded and plug. “You do not have to buy a new MSA apparatus in order to be able to use the G1 facepiece, as it can be adapted to any MSA breathing apparatus or supplied-air system.

“This is a critical factor in helping our customers reduce their total cost of ownership, and enhance worker safety at the same time,” Hugo elaborates. The MSA G1 facepiece is also available in different sizes, including nose cups, to allow for an optimal fit for all face profiles.