Coronavirus Angst Driving Demand for Worker Safety Respirators

Coronavirus fears could lead to shortages of respirators commonly worn by construction and factory workers as consumers buy them up and medical workers get high priority.

“We are increasing production at multiple facilities globally to address the increasing demand,” said Eric Krantz, a spokesman for Honeywell International Inc., a manufacturer of respirators. Other U.S. manufacturers include 3M Co. and Moldex-Metric Inc.

The respirators being grabbed off store shelves and ordered online by people worried about inhaling the coronavirus are the same respirators used by workers who labor in dusty conditions to avoid breathing in a host of airborne hazards ...