Some components, including hoods and facepieces, of many of the gas masks and escape respirators may melt if exposed to a fire. Not all gas masks and escape respirators protect against these hazards. Smoke particles can rapidly clog gas mask filters, and filters with special chemicals are needed to protect against carbon monoxide and other gases that may occur in a fire. Q: Will a Gas Mask protect me if there is a fire?Ī: It's important to read the manufacturer's information if your main concern is to be able to escape from a smoke-filled building. If used in an environment with low oxygen levels, such as a fire, you are in danger of suffocation. Q: Will a Gas Mask protect me if there is not enough oxygen in the air?Ī: Gas Masks do not provide oxygen.
Properly selected and worn gas masks and escape respirators must be combined with protective clothing to completely prevent injury from these chemicals. Some dangerous chemicals are absorbed through the skin. Q: If I wear a Gas Mask correctly, am I completely safe?Ī: The filter cartridges protect against only certain inhaled airborne substances. Inspect it according to the manufacturers instructions. Keep your mask in a clean, dry place, away from extreme heat or cold. Also, over time your mask can get old and break down. Even cartridges in original packaging have expiration dates that should be checked before purchase. If cartridges are open or not packed in air-tight packaging, they should not be used. Cartridges that contain charcoal or other chemicals for filtering the air should be in air-tight packages. If the filter cartridges that attach to the mask are outdated, have been open to the air or are damaged, you are not protected. Q: Will my cartridge/filter and respirator mask protect forever?Ī: Cartridges, filters, and masks get old. As with respirator use by anybody, fit-testing, training, and proper use and maintenance are essential. For example, currently available masks are unlikely to fit the faces of small children and infants. Q: Will a gas mask protect children?Ī: There are a variety of problems with fit and use of respirators for children, especially small children and infants. Some people with vision problems may have trouble seeing while wearing a mask or hood (there are special masks for people who need glasses). Some people with claustrophobia may not be able to wear a mask or hooded respirator. People with lung diseases such as asthma or emphysema, elderly people, and others may have trouble breathing.
Q: Can anyone wear a respirator mask?Ī: Breathing through a respirator is harder than breathing in open air. If so, and if there is large amount of a toxic chemical in the outside air, even that small leakage can be dangerous. Also, there may be a small amount of leakage even if the fit of the respirator has been tested. Q: If I have the right cartridges/filters for a certain hazard, and my mask fits, will they always protect me against that hazard?Ī: Gas Masks and Escape Respirators reduce exposure to the hazard, but if the exposure is such that it goes beyond what the filter is capable of handling (either because the amount of toxic gas or particles is more than what the filter is designed to handle, or because the exposure lasts longer than what the filter is designed to handle), the filter may not be effective in providing required protection. This information should be provided by the supplier of the respirator.
HALF GAS MASK HOW TO
You also need training to know how to correctly put the mask on and wear it correctly. Some respirators come in different styles and sizes, and fit different people differently because people's faces have different shapes. Anything that prevents the face mask from fitting tightly against your face, such as a beard or long sideburns, may cause leakage. If your mask does not make a tight seal all the way around your face when you inhale, you may breathe contaminated air that leaks around the edges of the face seal. The cautions, limitations and restriction of use provided with the respirator must be strictly followed. Q: Can I buy any Gas Mask or Escape Respirator and expect it to protect me from anything that might happen?Ī: These respirators must be selected for protection against a specific hazard. At the end of this Fact Sheet, you will find a list of questions you should ask before purchasing a Gas Mask or Escape Respirator. The following questions and answers provide additional information for use in selecting and using gas mask and escape respirators.
FREQUENTLY ASKED RESPIRATOR SAFETY PROTECTION QUESTIONS
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