In order for a person to survive in adverse environmental conditions created by his own hands along with the vagaries of nature, he must use special tools invented to increase the chances of preserving life and health. Respiratory protection can prevent many diseases, make it possible to work in conditions of high air pollution. Scientific and technological progress is leaps and bounds to perfection, creating ideal tools for human comfort and well-being. We sometimes do not even guess how a simple rubber or gauze device can save a life or soften a chemical blow.
The most common respiratory protection products are various
types of gas masks and respirators. A dusty fabric mask and a banal, sometimes hand
- sewn,
cotton-gauze dressing are also commonly used
. The latter view is available to everyone. And you do not need to go to specialized retail outlets in order to purchase the necessary dust mask.
Specific use of protective equipment
It is impossible to say unequivocally what kind of devices filtering atmospheric impurities is needed if there is no exact description of the situation in which it will be used. When buying respiratory protection, it is necessary to indicate, if possible, which substances will be present in the air. This does not mean that in an emergency you should not hope that you can protect your body from poisons and smoke. An indication of the working conditions, a description of the substances to be contacted, the area of the room where the person will be located is desirable.
You may need only a filtering half mask instead of a more serious tool - a gas mask. The cost does not matter, since in some cases the absence of a mask can pose a threat not only to health, but also to human life. When buying, the age of the person planning to use the simplest respiratory protective equipment must be indicated. For example, respirators have a range of sizes, adolescent products in volume differ from adults in a smaller direction.
Varieties of filtering devices
- Gas mask is the main respiratory protection. It helps to prevent entry into the respiratory organs, as well as into the eyes and face of not only asphyxiating smoke, but also toxic, chemically hazardous substances. For employees of secret laboratories, such an insulating gas mask will become an excellent barrier to the penetration of bacterial agents of biological origin, radioactive vapors and various types of aerosols into the body.
- A gas and dust respirator is a functional and easy-to-use product of scientific and technological progress, which allows you to protect the human respiratory system from fetid and toxic fumes, gases, aerosols such as AHOV. It is worth noting that such filtering respiratory protection is effective only at low concentrations (within the range of 10-15 MPC). The most common respirators: RU-60M (used with KD and B type cartridges), RPG-67 (KD cartridge) and a product with the interesting name “Snezhok-GP-E”, which does not cancel its effectiveness. The half-mask respirator with the marking RU-60M, like the RPG-67, got its name due to its appearance - it is a rubber half mask with a knitted shutter.
- Civil gas masks protect against the release of AHOV and are the most accessible and in demand among the world's population. Such a filtering agent can be purchased independently in a specialized store, describing in detail where it is planned to be used, and indicating the age of the person on whom the product will be worn directly.
How to make the right choice
The classification of respiratory protective equipment may include additional subspecies that are used in individual cases. To understand exactly what kind of air filtration device you need, you should consider each of them in more detail. Even if this information is not relevant at the moment, situations in the future are not excluded when there is an urgent need for a gas mask or respirator. It does not mean that immediately it is necessary to purchase consignments of protective equipment and store them in the basement until a suitable case occurs. If a person is sufficiently informed about what he may need, then it will be easier for him to cope with any non-standard life stage. Do-it-yourself gauze masks are not so relevant: they can protect in a smoky room during a fire, but no more. Only serious preparation is a guarantee of safety in the future.
Gas dust respirators
In addition to the main specific masks mentioned in the list, the following subspecies exist: the RU-6OM respirator is a fairly common respiratory protective equipment that comes with two cartridges that absorb harmful fumes and toxic substances. This product has a charge and an additional filter.
Protects an organism from vapors and AHOV. Particular attention should be paid to the Snezhok-GP-E device, which has two filters in their seemingly simple at first glance - dust and aerosol filters. If you use such a convenient mask, you can protect yourself completely from aerosol vapors, substances of biological origin, AXOW gases that are floating in the air (the latter include hydrogen fluoride, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride). This is a great help for those who work on objects of high atmospheric pollution or simply decide to protect potato shoots from Colorado potato beetles. No matter how strong the poison in the atomizer is, protection is guaranteed.
Scope of use of respirators
It is worth noting that such respiratory masks have limited use. This means that they will not protect eyes and skin from AHOV (such a filter component is worn on the area of the mouth and nose, firmly fixed behind a strong elastic band to prevent slipping through the hair and scalp). The scope of use is industrial. Moreover, to a person planning to wear such a gas mask, there are some strict requirements prescribed in the rules of industrial sanitation. A special point is the protection of the human respiratory system not only from harmful substances (gases, vapors, etc.), but also from mechanical impurities that are lightweight and can be freely suspended. "Will protect the respirator from dust or harmful impurities?" - a question that needs to be approached in detail, carefully analyzing the situation beforehand.
Filter masks
Such protective equipment is produced by industrial forces to protect workers in enterprises that come into contact with chemically hazardous substances on a daily basis. As a rule, such an insulating gas mask is used in combination with protective clothing and shoes. It has two main subspecies: industrial gas masks (as mentioned earlier, for employees of laboratories, industries and other facilities) and civilian (for any category of the population in the event of an adverse situation with a risk to life). The scope of use of industrial gas masks is protection against harmful chemical elements when their concentration in the room air exceeds acceptable standards.
You can use such special filters of a special design only taking into account the types of poisons or potent substances, that is, after their additional analysis. If the head of the company takes care of his employees, he will check everything in advance repeatedly and only after that will he be able to order gas masks for all employees. They are produced by different manufacturers in any trim levels, with various filter boxes. The latter are especially relevant for consideration, since each of them has the ability to selectively absorb harmful substances and suspended solids in the room.
Civil gas mask: distribution and functions
If we touch on the choice of a filter of harmful poisons, then respiratory protection in this regard have achieved unprecedented progress. It is understood that it is not only possible to order specialized types of them, but also to buy them in a store that supplies such goods. For example, you can purchase a civilian gas mask. It will protect the respiratory system in full, as its design has appropriate filters. Currently, this is the most popular and popular means of separating clean air from impurities. It is available to everyone, but it is important to know the size so as not to be mistaken. For example, for a teenager, an adult model will be great. This should not be neglected, since in a fire or working with poisons, this product can simply slip off your head and leave a person alone with danger. A tight-fitting gas mask will also not provide adequate protection. We must not forget that for a growing organism, such carelessness can become fatal and cause irreparable harm to all systems: circulatory, respiratory, damage the mucous membranes of the eyes and others. The main respiratory protective equipment listed above will help in any situation where there is a danger of a chemical explosion or release of hazardous substances from factories located in the city or nearby. In almost every city there are factories with a chemical focus that produce things that are useful for everyday life. But any emergency can be dangerous for the entire urban population.
RPG 67. Scope of use
We will pay special attention to such a product as an RPG-67 respirator. It belongs to the category of filtering gas masks that can fully protect the body if necessary. This model is mainly used to protect the respiratory system of a person of any age from exposure to harmful substances in a state of vapor or gas. If we are talking about industry - then from the premises present in the air (usually closed), namely the working area. In it, a person spends the bulk of his time, so the daily effects of toxic impurities on his body can not only negatively affect his health, but also reduce the length of time allotted for life, no matter how regrettable.
Respirator design
RPG-67 consists of the following main parts: the base - a rubber half mask with the marking PR-7, a fabric or rubber seal, depending on the preferences of the manufacturer of several filter cartridges. There are also plastic cuffs in which inhalation valves and an exhalation valve are mounted. There is a safety screen and a clearly planned headband size. The RPG-67 respirator is easy to choose - its marking exactly matches the designation of cartridges that perform the function of a filter. Each of them has a different composition of absorbers. To avoid confusion (because respiratory protection is an extremely serious process), the labeling of each filter product is applied strictly in the center of the cartridge lid. In this case, the date of manufacture, as well as the model and brand of the cartridge component, must be indicated.
Size range of respirators
Respirators are usually manufactured by the manufacturer with half-mask sizes of three types: 1, 2, 3. Depending on the size of the head and the age of the consumer, they choose the right one. You can also purchase safety glasses in a set or separately, which protect the organs of vision of a person who wants to put a powerful barrier between his body and a harmful environment. The RPG-67 respirator has some nuances when used. One of the most important: it is forbidden to use this product to protect against highly toxic substances. The fact is that in this case, its filters will not cope with their functions. Such substances include hydrocyanic acid, hydrogen sulfide, arsenic, phosphorous hydrogen, cyanides, methane, tetraethyl lead, ethane. Some substances in a vapor-gas state can still penetrate the body, for example, if certain areas of the skin are not protected.
From time to time, any person has to deal with various harmful substances, situations can also be different: a working moment or an emergency. When choosing a remedy, one must take into account all generally accepted norms and factors, ignoring which can lead to disastrous consequences. The filter box of any product is always strictly specialized, it is focused on a specific composition of absorbers.
You should always be very careful about your health. If it is possible to prevent any life-threatening situation, then this is simply necessary. Respiratory protection is a necessity, not a luxury at all. Their cost is always within the affordable range, and if environmental disasters or man-made disasters occur in a country, it can even be reduced based on the poor. The state is able to take care of us to some extent, but everyone himself must make every effort to ensure his protection.