Dust mask shortage intensifying for contractors

The shortage of respiratory protective equipment is causing contractors to delay starts on site or lose out on work altogether.

The problems were highlighted in a survey by trade bodies ECA, BESA, SELECT, SNIPEF, LEIA and the CICV Forum.

Of the businesses struggling to obtain FFP3 dust masks, 15% said their situation was ‘impossible’, and 36% said it was ‘highly challenging’.

Another 44% of firms said they were having ‘sustained difficulty’ in obtaining FFP2 masks for use on site.

The cost of face masks has also risen dramatically during the coronavirus crisis with nearly half of businesses reporting that face masks had at least doubled in price.

updated: 26/06/2020