A gas mask to keep at home: what it really protects against
People who live near a chemical plant or in a volcanic area, or who simply want to be ready, look for a gas mask that actually works, not a collector's item. A certified professional mask with a multi-gas filter is the serious choice; but you need to know what it does and does not do.
What it protects against
Toxic clouds from industrial or transport accidents (chlorine, ammonia, solvent vapours), volcanic ash and gases, chemical fumes. P3 also stops radioactive particles carried in dust, if you would breathe them.
What it does not protect against
Fires: smoke contains carbon monoxide, which no ABEK filter stops, and oxygen may be lacking. In a fire you get out; you do not stay with a mask on.
Radiation: the filter does not stop radiation, it stops the dust that carries it. For radioactive iodine there are dedicated filters («Reactor» versions).
Military agents: ABEK2 P3 is an industrial filter, not a military CBRN filter.
Getting ready properly
Try the mask on first: adjust the head harness, check the seal by covering the filter connector with your palm and breathing in, and the face piece should pull in. A beard prevents a seal.
Keep the spare filter sealed, away from heat and damp, and check the expiry date printed on the casing. An opened filter runs out even when not in use.
The TR 2002 is an adult mask: there is no children's version.
The filter to start from
ABEK2 P3Spasciani 203 A2B2E2K2P3
ABEK2 P3 covers organic vapours, inorganic gases, acid gases, ammonia and particles: it is the most versatile civilian filter for an emergency you cannot predict.
The filter shown is a starting point: the substance's safety data sheet, and at work the risk assessment, have the final word.
Other jobs
Limits and warnings
- In an emergency follow the instructions of civil protection and the fire brigade: often the right thing is to stay indoors with windows shut, not to go out.
- The mask does not replace evacuation when it is ordered.
- The filter lasts a limited time in a high concentration: it is for getting away, not for staying.