Never before was chemistry recognized as a separate branch of the military. Early in the war, the USBM established the Chemical Warfare Service as a distinct unit of the War Department. Bureau of Mines Involvement in WWI War EffortĪlthough short-lived, the USBM wartime research revealed the value of chemical science and engineering professionals to respiratory protection. The Fireman’s Herald advertisement declared that this device “…protects the respiratory organs from the effects of deleterious admixtures to the air such as vapors, fumes, and smoke.” A trailing guide rope and an airtight hood completed the respirator ensemble. This device had a cord connected from the hat rim to a hook in the wearer’s belt to prevent the helmet from falling off. Another squeeze bulb at the waist was connected to a whistle so that the wearer could alert his comrades if he needed help. In other words, it was said to provide courage to the wearer if he lost his nerve while fighting the fire. A squeeze bulb positioned at the user’s head was supposed to give “ nerve-strengthening essences” when squeezed. The apparatus was suspended from a metal framed window fitted with protective grating and a visor wiper, which hung from the helmet. The Loeb Patented Smoke Respirator ( Figure 5, from NIOSH, 1979), invented around 1875 and used by the Brooklyn New York Fire Department, was equipped with a filter element, located in the front of mask, that contained charcoal and wool soaked in glycerin ( Held, 1974). An inverted funnel at the end of the hose contained a woolen cloth to trap particulates and a wet sponge to protect against gases and vapors. The design was based on the correct assumption that the most breathable air during a fire was near the floor. In 1825, John Roberts developed a “smoke filter” for firefighters ( Figure 1, from NIOSH, 1979), consisting of a leather hood and a hose strapped to the leg. After fires, firefighters were known to drink ample quantities of steam beer, which they misguidedly thought would cleanse their lungs.Īccording to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH, 1979), at the beginning of the 19th century industrial revolution, respirator evolution became more sophisticated. These “beard filters” may have kept some of the larger ashes from the firefighter’s mouth. ![]() Before a fire, firefighters would soak their beards in water and clamped it in their teeth to act as filters. While it now may seem unusual, during the 18th and 19th centuries firefighters were required to have full grown beards. ![]() Understanding behavior of small particles, the properties of filter media and their interactions led to the improvement of particulate respirators. In 1827, the Scottish botanist Robert Brown discovered the phenomenon of the Brownian movement – the theory that the random bouncing motion of extremely small particles was caused by collisions of rapidly moving gas molecules. Advances in respiratory protection came about after the discovery of the separate natures of particulate aerosols, gases, and vapors. Until WWI, respirators used in mining and industry were homemade masks, such as cloth scarves and other filtering type devices, along with respirators imported from European manufacturers such as Dräger, Westphalia, Fleuss, and Siebe-Gorman.īefore the 18th century, smoke and dust generated during mining and industrial operations were the only recognized inhalation hazards. According to Held (1974), prior to World War I, respirators were primarily produced to protect fire service personnel in the United States (U.S.) from inhalation hazards.
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