Crappy Gas Mask
Here’s a snapshot from an advertisement:
In case you don’t speak Finnish, the ad is for a gas mask (5 euros). The text reads, loosely:
Gas Mask decommisioned by the Finnish Army
Gas Mask+filter+bag
Does not fill official safety regulations!
Right, so, um, the gas masks the Finnish Army used to use did not fill official safety regulations? Interesting… Now I know why we could always get a healthy wiff of the tear gas…
the warning means that you should not use the mask for sand blasting, spray painting. it’s for military use only
Wouldn’t it make sense that a gas mask, that’s supposed to be used by the Finnish Armed Forces in situations involving toxic gases or even biological weapons, would be able to block out any particles that may arise from spray painting or sand blasting?
Hey buddy,
The disclaimer (” Does not fill official safety regulations) means that the miliatary gas mask does not meet occupational health and safety regulations. This is also true for US military gas masks and those of most other nations. Trust me, I’m an occupational health and safety expert.
Is there any particular reason why military grade gas marks are inferior to occupational versions? Is it merely a finance issue? I understand that people working with toxic chemicals and fumes on a daily basis might need a really efficient gas mask, but wouldn’t soldiers need an even more efficient one in case they come into contact with nerve gas and such?
It could mean that the mask has passed it’s expiration date and therefor no longer meets regulations.
Most government occupational safety and health agencies have their own certification requirements for respirators. Respirators used in the USA must have the NIOSH certification mark. No mark, not acceptable on the job. It does not mean that the military gas masks are inferior. The military maks are for military biological and chemical agents. Different contaminats are found in industry and construction than in military arsenals. Different respirators are also required for different industries. It’s a complex topic.
So who actually buys decommissioned military gas masks then, if you can’t actually use one for anything but military grade protection? Is it merely for collectors, or for people who’re sure someone will detonate a military grade biological bomb close to their house? I’ve always been under the impression that money typically guarantees quality, so 5 euros (roughly 6 dollars US) for a gas mask isn’t very much…
spray paint and other activities takes forced air respirators and the particles are typically smaller than nuclear or biological hazards so it can’t be used for those, besides the old nato 80mm threads on the canisters I think they will work just fine for the intended use.
Or, if you live in Hawaii and plan to visit Volcanoe’s Nat’l Park, where fumes from the lava hitting the ocean produce sulfuric acid steam with glass particles in it, affectionately know as VOG, you can use these when the wind shifts and starts to blow the sulfuric acid fog into your face. It’s supposed to be very damaging to the lungs. It might not meet specific standards, but I would be it’s better than holding your hands over your mouth as you are running. : )
If you want a respirator for occupational use, you should get one designed for that. They need to be certified for the particular use (insurance), and last a long while against dust and glop that will harm you but not kill you.
Military masks use activated carbon filters to strip out *everything* that’s not air, because the contaminants will kill you. If the filters hold up only a half hour in a high load environment, that’s okay, because military will either swap a whole mask/filter assembly (while holding their breath) or their buddy will change the filter, also while holding their breath. Different risk profile, and training/hazard profiles. Consider: if only 2% die in a chemical attack, that’s pretty good force protection. Would you be willing to get a snootfull of dust/vapor 2% of the time if you spend 40 hours a week in a paint spray or sandblasting booth?
Don’t use a gas mask for painting (unless you hook it to a forced clean air feed), the filter will load up fast; don’t use a dust/nuisance filter in a chemical warfare environment, you’ll get dead fast.