Gas masks in coal mines · AditNow Community

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Aditaddict
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

It was just a thought i had the other day why did coalminers not wear gas masks ?
the gas masks we have seen over the years have had to cope with some very toxic gases , so was just wondering if say a military mask from the first / second world war or even the gulf war would be safe in a coal mine ?

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staffordshirechina
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

Filter type gas masks still rely on there being oxygen in the atmospere for you to actually breath once the contaminant gas has been 'caught' by the chemical in the filter.
The self-rescuer that many mines use is basically a gas mask.
It uses a catalyst based filter to turn carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. The first being deadly in relatively small amounts whereas the second can be breathed in the same small amounts without a problem. You only need to put the rescuer in your mouth and use noseclips because carbon monoxide doesn't affect your eyes like some wartime gases, therefore no full face cover required.

Aditaddict
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

thanks for that :thumbsup:

ttxela
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

They are very handy for making onion marmalade though!

[photo]Personal-Album-259-Image-71980[/photo]

Aditaddict
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

13 years ago

Do they work on the Bi products after you have eaten it though ? 😉

Roger L
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

As far as I know the old war gas masks used Astbestos as a filter. If the bullets did not get you the astbestos did

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mistericeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

I have to confess to using the goggles that came with a self rescuer whilst cooking onions ....

Trouble is it looks like some sort of Gimp cookery competition .

Trying the self rescuer was interesting though :lol:

dsmith10
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

I have never really given this much thought...I am guessing the reason is because the amounts of gas breathed in will be very minimal and therefore not hazardous.

Hahaha like the gas mask onion pic above - might have to invest in one for when I am cooking :)

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration

13 years ago

"Isabel Gott" wrote:
As far as I know the old war gas masks used Astbestos as a filter. If the bullets did not get you the astbestos did

That I did not know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_mask#Safety_of_old_gas_masks

Quote:

World War II gas masks contained blue asbestos in their filters, and this material continued to be used until at least 1956. Breathing blue asbestos in the factories resulted in the death of 10% of the workforce due to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. This rate was between 2.5 and 3.2 times the normal incidence of lung or respiratory cancers.[1] Some of the gas masks known to contain asbestos are the British MK4 and MK5 respirators which were issued to the majority of the British army during World War II. Current advice is never to wear any gas mask of uncertain military origin.

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

Roger L
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

13 years ago

#10

Glad you confirmed that Simon.

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