GAS MASKS.

Northern Advocate, 8 January 1920, Page 4

GAS MASKS.

TTIK DA NCI Kit OK THEM

NO GOOD FOR FIRE BRTGADHS

MX NT

WARNINGS FROM ABROAD

Many people, -hearing of the success

of gas masks as a protection against poison gas, have been persuaded that they might be serviceable for other purposes. That has been the ease fit Home and in America, with the result that technical papers have been at great, pains to point out the folly of usin° - gas masks for such purposes, and the positive danger to life that exists j in trusting to such a form of protection. It seems to be necessary to follow the example of the Home papers referred to, because in "The Dominion" of January 1 was reprinted the following paragraph from the Dun. din "Star":— "The box respirator, so much used by our troops who had to face the deadly German gas, saved many lives. it is interesting to learn that the same appliance has been found of great benefit to a 'fighter' of peace times —namely, the fireman. The Dnnedin City Brigade possesses one of the latest types of these masks, and on the occasion of a recent tire the appliance was put to an exhaustive test, and as a result, of the highly satisfactory results attained Superintendent Napier intends to apply immediately to the Home authorities for a supply. The mask can be quickly adjusted, which is a most essential point for a fireman, when lives may be in danger in a building filled wi(h smoke. The appliance is a most valuable acquisition to fire-light-ers, as compared with the old style of smoke helmet. Superintendent Napier hopes to equip every man in the brigade with a mask." NEED TO CORRECT CONCLUSIONS. It is practically certain that Superintendent Napier has fallen into the same error as many people in other countries. There is an illuminating article in the quarterly journal of the "National Fire Protection Association" of October last, written by J. I. Bannsh, which goes fully into the "Army Type of Gas Mask in Fire Protection." In the course of that article the writer says:— "When it is considered that the Army canister is designed only to protect against the concentrations of poisonous gases which might be found in the open air, it. can readily be seen that its life in higher concentrations would be short, and therefore for the latter use canisters should be especially designed against the gases anticipated. . . For the present it must be clearly kept in mind that no gas mask of this (Army) character should be used in an atmosphere where an ordinary lantern will not burn, since this mask forms no protection against a deficiency in the oxygen supply, and if there is not a breathable amount of oxygen the mask is of no value. Even when wearing the mask men should not enter alone places where carbon moiioxidc may be present. This gas affects ,the blood, not the lungs, and its poisonous effect is not felt until the person subject to its influence is overcome." In other words, a gas mask may be effective against a poison gas encoun-

tptvd in the open air, but in ii contiiu'd space, such as it room tilled with smoke, ii would liiive Tin value, and those trusting implicitly to such a mask would probably pay the penalty. Says the English journal "Fire" of July, 1919: —''Within throe weeks of the signing of the armistice we published a warning thai the box respirators and other types of gas masks used in the Army, and about to be thrown in millions on the market, were not suited tui' mine rescue work nor for lire brigade work where there is a risk of | the oxygon contents of the atmosphere lieing reduced by poison and other gases below the percentage necessary lor human life, viz., 14 per cent." A GOVERNMENT WARNING. The Government issued the following warning in the same issue:— "The Secietaiy of State is informed Ihat an erroneous belief prevails, especially among demobilised men returning to the mines, (hat Ihc Army .box respirator, which has proved so excellent a protection against poison gas, would safeguard a man equally well if he were attempting to penntratr, a noxious underground atmosphere. A similar belief apparently exists with regard to the device known as the Fe D helmet, in which the air is dr'.wn through a sponge filter damped with water or other solution." "The Secretary of Htnte is \ lvise.l Ibv the Mines Rescue Apparatus ReI search Committee lhat neither the Army respirator nor the Keds helmet is safe for use in mines, and he thinks if necessary in the interests of safeiv to issue a warning lo managers of mm.'s and superintendents of rescue stations. Neither the Army respirator nor the Mods appliances give the least security againsl eiiher of these ilangeis, and if they be used in mines the results may be fatal to those wearing them. This type of appliance --an not, * I'.erefore. bo looked upon as a «übv.iimie for self-contained breathing apparatus. This warning is all tin- more necessary as both the Army respirator and the Keds helmet will s'.op smoke, and ij»r that reason they would give a person ignorant of the real danger a feeling of security when entering smokY air, and thus add to the probability of his being overcome." For these and other references to gas masks and their use "The Dominion" is indebted to Supcnntendeur H. Tait, of the Wellington Fire Brigade, to whom the gas mask idea was submitted for criticism. in view of the extreme seriousness of the statements in the "Star's" parngiaph, Mr Tait agreed that the proper position should • be set out without any loss of time. Mr Tail explained that such apparatus was not required for fire-fighting, but for locating the seat of a fire in the early stages of an outbreak, and nothing had yet been devised so effective and safe as the smoke helmet, which was always carried by the brigade—a helmet which fitted closely over head and shoulders, and was supplied with fresh air, outside the radius of the fire, by means of a pump, so that no matter where the operator was he could always get a full supply of fresh nir.