The U.S. negative pressure escape mask market is poised to witness a phase of lucrative revenue growth owing to a rapidly growing product demand from several application avenues. In fact, increasing demand from application sectors such as healthcare & medical, industrial, aviation, military, and public service among others is expected to chalk out a momentous growth trend for the market in coming years.

A negative-pressure mask, or respirator, is a mask where there is an air pressure on the inside of the facepiece. This pressure is in the negative in respect to pressure outside the mask during inhalation process. A negative-pressure mask utilizes chemical media and mechanical filters to ensure that the user is not breathing in tainted air.

Dust masks can also be classified as negative-pressure respirators or masks if they incorporate a seal. However, it is to be noted that the inexpensive dust, pollen masks, and other loosely-fitting masks that are found at drug stores are not considered negative-pressure respirators.

In many instances, negative pressure devices depend on the wearer to breathe in through the filter to effectively pull in air for purification. These respirators can also disposable in nature, half-mask respirators, or full facemasks. These devices can offer effective protection against vapors, gases, particulates, or a combination of these, based on the filters used.

There are powered systems that will offer the level of same protection as that provided by a negative pressure mask with the same amount filters offered. However, the sole difference between these is that a powered respirator relies on a battery, motor, and a fan to perform the task of pulling in the air.

The overall industry for negative pressure escape mask in U.S. is bifurcated into different segments on the basis of application, namely, healthcare & medical, industrial, aviation, military, public service, and others.

Among these, the industrial application segment is set to witness momentous growth as negative pressure escape masks find immense applications in numerous industries such as manufacturing, chemical, marine, nuclear, metal fabrication, mining, food & beverages, textile, and aerospace among others.

The medical & healthcare segment size was valued at over $9 million in 2019. Negative pressure escape masks are widely used in medical and healthcare industry during drug formulation in labs.

The others application segment is earmarked to fuel an elevated business trend for the market over the forthcoming years. The others application segment is concerned with construction and agriculture sectors. In construction industry passive air purifying respirators such disposable half face mask respirator and reusable face masks are used to protect workers from the particles of sand, cement, and saw dust among others that are found plentiful at construction sites.

Additionally, they also protect the wearers from hazardous fumes of the paints and coatings, making them essential safety equipment. Typically, a common toxic gas in the construction sector includes carbon monoxide from engine exhaust.

Given that the U.S. is increasingly focusing on upgradation and maintenance of its existing infrastructure, the demand for such masks from construction activities in likely to increase manifold. The infrastructure upgradation initiative is also expected to address the issue of increasing unemployment rates, as it could create many employment opportunities at a time when COVID-19 has ravaged the economy.

In fact, in July of 2020, the Trump administration was contemplating a momentous $1 trillion infrastructure proposal under its push to kickstart the nation’s economy. Infrastructure budget has long been a tool that lawmakers have leveraged as a way to stimulate economic growth, and the coronavirus pandemic is further renewing calls to expedite road development and other infrastructure projects as a way to create more jobs. The president of Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Mary C. Daly, had also called for infrastructure related public-works spending, which included projects that can help low-income bracket people. This emerging trend is likely to play a major role in fostering the industry growth over the forecast timeframe.