Tom Cruise slammed for using 'less safe PPE mask' following Covid on-set meltdown

Tom Cruise may need to fire himself from Mission Impossible 7 after seemingly being rumbled for wearing a mask on set that offers little to no protection from Covid-19. The pint-sized 58-year-old actor unleashed a volcanic eruption of anger at two crew members of MI:7 for breaching Covid health and safety by standing less than two meters apart earlier this week.

A recording of his explosive outburst revealed him threatening to sack anyone that refused to follow Covid-19 rules to the letter - and his fury was so extreme that five members of crew are reported to have quit in protest. However, the A List star has been spotted wearing a ‘protective’ mask on the set of Mission Impossible that America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned offers no protection at all.

TMZ reports: “The mask Tom's wearing in almost all the pics from various 'Mission: Impossible 7' sets is NOT recommended by the CDC ... and the agency actually warned against wearing any mask with valves like the one [Tom’s] rocking.”

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The news website claimed to have tracked down the exact mask worn by Tom, saying it comes from a company called Jupiter gear. And they claim the company even warns explicitly that the mask allows droplets from breathing to escape quickly.

Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible set. (Courtesy)

TMZ states: “The manufacturer says the mask is meant to mostly be worn during physical activity, with the valves designed to ‘release hot, humid exhaled breath quickly.’

“In other words, there's still a good chance respiratory droplets are escaping ... and that's dangerous with this airborne coronavirus."

While the CDC has said of such designs: "this type of mask may not prevent you from spreading COVID-19 to others. The hole in the material may allow your respiratory droplets to escape and reach others."

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In the UK, film Health and Safety experts First Option recommend using N95 respirator type masks on set of film and television productions after they were found in one study to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid by as much as 85%.

They also note of valved masks: "whilst effective on preventing particles reaching the wearer, do not prevent the release of exhaled respiratory particles from the wearer into the environment".

Earlier this week, audio recording revealed Tom unleashing his f-bomb fuelled rage at crew members who stood less than two-meters apart on set of MI:7 – which has been filming in the UK and Europe all year.

He screamed: “I don’t ever want to see it again, ever! And if you don’t do it you’re fired, if I see you do it again you’re f***ing gone.

“And if anyone in this crew does it - that’s it, and you too and you too. And you, don’t you ever f***ing do it again.”

His explosive response has divided fans – with some praising him for taking a stern approach to Covid health and safety, while others have expressed concern that his rage-filled outburst went too far. Now that he has been caught out over his own mask, however, some have branded him a hypocrite.

One fan commented on Twitter: “He literally could've been infecting all of them screaming through the valves.”