The idea was for the Commonwealth countries to start manufacturing their own equipment, but to the same specs as the British. In 1927, both Australia and Canada sent teams to Porton Down to learn more about respirator manufacture and anti-gas equipment. In the previous years, Britain had shared its anti-gas technology with the Commonwealth countries in an attempt to unify their standards. The same started to happen with the other countries of the British Empire. As such, the development work at Porton Down was stepped up and the production of respirators was increased. The Munich crisis had clearly demonstrated Germany’s disregard for the Treaty, so the threat of gas being used once again on the battlefield became a very real possibility. Although chemical warfare had been banned by the Treaty of Versailles, by 1938 the British Government had started to prepare for the worst. Only somewhat less hazardous- do not put on any respirator made prior to (approximately) 1960, which is when they changed from using asbestos paper filters to spun glass filters.The interwar years had provided Britain with a chance to improve further its respirator designs and to train its forces in the disciplines of anti-gas drills. This post brought to you by the Elves who drink Safe Tea (because elfin safe tea is very important). (Treat it from both ends.) There's always the risk that loose fibres have already escaped into the tube and mask (facepiece) though, so treat any mask with caution. Museums make them safe® for display by pouring glue (PVA adhesive, diluted with water) into the canister and letting it dry. They were fairly safe when manufactured (to the end user, less safe to the assembly workers), but time will have taken its toll. Obviously you should not risk breathing air that has passed through one of them, just on general principles. and release the asbestos fibres into the canister, from which they can escape into the atmosphere. This will degrade over time, due to damp, mould growth, insects, etc. The filter paper used in the canisters was made from a pulp of esparto grass with asbestos fibre added. (It's entirely possible that later canisters with green (and red) stripes also contain blue asbestos.) This is the "Contex" filter, intended to protect against Arsine (Arsenic Hydride), and that canister contains blue asbestos. The civilian (thin rubber) masks used substantially the same filter canister as the civilian duty type.Ī further caution: some respirators have an additional canister fixed to the front of the main filter and coloured green. the "Civilian Duty" variety with a substantial rubber mask that had the filter canister fitted to the front, contained white asbestos (chrysotile), which is somewhat less hazardous. The filter can contains blue asbestos (crocidolite), which is the worst kind. That particular bag is for the "Service" respirator, with the oval can on the end of a hose to the mask. I'm sure you've thought about it, but, if you do get a mask to go in it, be careful as some of the filters were asbestos based - someone on here will recall which ones - and over the years this has degraded leaving asbestos dust in the mask itself to be breathed in by the unwary!ĪLL WW2 respirator filters contained asbestos.
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