The later Triplex lens style (a cellulose acetate lens sandwiched between glass ones) became more popular, and alongside plain cellulose acetate they became the standard into the 1930s. Glass and mica were quite brittle and needed frequent replacement. The first gas masks mostly used circular lenses made of glass, mica or cellulose acetate to allow vision. Many filters provide protection from both types. Filters against specific chemical agents can last up to 20 hours.Īirborne toxic materials may be gaseous (for example, chlorine or mustard gas), or particulates (such as biological agents). Most combined gas mask filters will last around 8 hours in a biological or chemical situation. The gas mask only protects the user from digesting, inhaling, and contact through the eyes (many agents affect through eye contact). Most gas masks are also respirators, though the word gas mask is often used to refer to military equipment (such as a field protective mask), the scope used in this article. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Army soldier ( USAWC photo) Indian muleteers and mule wearing gas masks, France, FebruA Polish MUA gas mask, used in the 1970s and 1980sĪ gas mask is an item of personal protective equipment used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. 1915 Zelinsky–Kummant protivogaz, designed in 1915, was one of the first modern-type full-head protection gas masks with a detachable filter and eyelet glasses, shown here worn by U.S. For peacetime uses, including masks designed to filter gasses and particles, see elastomeric respirator. Another was hopelessly smashed up and must have got it full in the chest.For the mask used to inhale the gas through, see Mask § Functional masks. One man was unconscious, and died of gas later. We pulled four men out of the debris unharmed. One man was sick all over the sandbags and another was coughing his heart up. The others were slower and suffered for it. I had my respirator on in a hurry and most of our men were as quick. With my first glance I saw what looked like half a dozen bodies, mingled with sandbags, and then I smelt gas and realised that these were gas shells. After a quarter of an hour of this sort of thing, there was a sudden crash in the trench and ten feet of the parapet, just beyond m, was blown away and everyone around blinded by dust. These shells came over just above the parapet, in a flood, much more quickly than we could count them. It sounded like a gigantic firecracker, with two distinct explosions. The Huns started to bombard us with a shell, which was new to us. H S Clapham, a British soldier fighting on the Western Front, wrote about his experiences of a gas attack upon his return home: The more experienced soldiers also realised that it would be fatal to dive into a shell hole during an attack as the gas was heavier than air, and so would sink down. While not particularly effective, they did develop rapidly during the war and did save many lives. Soldiers who had experienced trench warfare for months or even years would quickly attune themselves to the sound of gas attack warning sirens, and would put their respirators on very quickly.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |