If people purchase the exhalation caps to disable the exhalation valves would RZ masks be allowed under the DMS COVID rules. The caps are pretty easy to see their bright blue.
This is not an answer to your question but instead of buying you can print your own in whatever color you want! (Mine are black as thats what was in my printer at the time). They lock in instead of pressure fit.
I can’t speak to the actual rule, but I would not want to see a modified mask on the person sitting next to me. It introduces complexity into something that should be simple.
while the “home made” mask out of your old tighty-whities is perfectly acceptable
The issue with those masks are that they have unfiltered exhaust thanks to the valves.
LENGTHY discussions about that point.
So plugging up the holes where the valve goes should be fine.
There’s also a 3D printable outlet valve with filter on Thingiverse.
Or, simply follow the “no masks with valves” rule as written. Not every rule needs an exception.
Who am I kidding, though? If DMS enacted a “no premeditated murder on the premises” rule, someone would ask for an exception before the ink was dry.
ETA: now I understand why my company issued masks to those employees returning to the office, and only allows those masks on campus.
This guy has generated no protest whatsoever with the setup in his profile picture:
… which is basically a semistandard soft wraparound respirator, ala:
… adorned with a standard dirt-cheap surgical mask like ~⅓ of the population is commonly wearing in public these days.
In my case, using a “simple” fabric mask or monolithic respirator introduces such fierce and relentless glasses fogging that I’m touching my face and adjusting that mask almost as often as I would if I was having an allergic reaction, thus introducing complexity to solve the fundamental design flaw that the eyewear-less public (or those for whom nose bridges and other tricks actually work as advertised) is blithely unaware of.
I’m happier with the modified mask than with the dude who’s wearing his paper mask under his nose…
I think there should be no problem with this. If we allow people to wear these masks as long as the valves is covered up, this seems to fit those rules just fine. Seems a lot more logical than wearing a second mask on top, or taping cloth over the valves as I’ve heard some other people suggest
Markedly easier to layer another mask than swap the valves while retaining some of the user benefits of exhalation valves.