Gas masks are an indispensable item for protecting the upper respiratory tract against various types of contaminants and harmful volatile substances, both in the work of people exposed to the inhalation of dust and other pollutants, and in the work of firefighters. The latter are a special group for whom gas masks are one of the basic means of personal protection and protection at almost every stage of work. What types of gas masks can be distinguished and what are their individual characteristics?
Types of gas masks
Gas masks can be divided into two main categories: filter masks(half-masks), whose role is to purify the air inhaled by a person, and isolation masks, which are connected to an air cylinder and allow breathing oxygen completely free of impurities from the air. In the case of the use of masks as a means of personal protection in the work of firefighters, isolation masks are a definite advantage, thanks to which those can move for many hours in rooms whose air is completely unsuitable for human inhalation. How do the different types of gas masks work?
Filter masks
This type of mask is an excellent solution for places where the air contains various types of gases, toxic substances and dust with relatively large particles that can be caught by specialized mask filters. Masks of this type draw air from the environment, passing it then through a network of specialized and prepared for various types of gases and particles, which are able to ensure that the air entering a person's lungs is free of them and safe for health. Good filter masks used by the fire department, among others, and administered on more than one occasion to accident victims before the fire department can pull them out of a dangerous place, have special openings that allow them to see and special inhalation and exhalation valves. These masks can, and should, also have a specialized membrane that allows communication with the environment.
Isolation masks
Unlike filter masks, isolation gas masks completely cut off the mask wearer's contact with the air outside, protecting him from the risk of inhaling contaminated air. For breathing in this type of full-face mask, an oxygen cylinder connected to the mask is used, from which air is supplied to the mask and the mask wearer's respiratory tract via a special flexible tube. Isolation masks do not have any valves to allow outside air in, but only a facepiece to protect the rescuer's eyes and face, and a breathing bag equipped with a valve to remove excess oxygen from the air inhaled from the cylinder. The isolation mask works by converting exhaled carbon dioxide into water vapor and oxygen, which are stored in the aforementioned breathing bag. Each intake of breath causes the already used air to flow through the regenerative canister, which allows oxygen to be recovered and thus increases the mask's useful life to the maximum. To make this possible, the absorber encapsulates the chemicals that make this reaction possible, which in practice means that such an absorber has a fixed working life and must be replaced after each use of the mask.
Properties and uses of gas masks
Gas masks are an indispensable piece of equipment for firefighters and any workplace where contact with contaminated and unbreathable air is frequent or continuous. Such masks are indispensable in all kinds of rescue operations, when firefighters have to get injured people out of a smoky building and allow them to breathe freely before they can be moved away to safety. However, in order for a mask to be fully functional and guarantee safe breathing, it should not only be tailored to the situation (in the case of highly polluted air, a filter mask may not be able to completely clear the air), but also to the specific person. Each mask has its own size and should be perfectly matched to the face of the person wearing it. And its efficiency should be checked after each use. It is also worth remembering to regularly maintain and replace the most important components of the mask, that is, both the filters (for filter masks) and the regenerative absorber (for isolation masks).
In our store you will find both masks for industrial use, guaranteeing full working comfort and optimal safety at low, medium and high air pollution, and specialized firefighter masks that guarantee full protection of the respiratory tract regardless of the prevailing environmental conditions.
