I've personally never used them for urbex
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What is everyone's thoughts on respirators?
- Thread starter After The Apocalypse
- Start date
They only work if you have the correct one to filter what you want out of the air, they are put on and fit correctly, clean and well maintained.
In industry you have a face fit to ensure the respirator / mask fits your face properly. If it doesn't you end up breathing in things thinking you are protected. Also with the likes of asbestos it will also be present on your clothes, bags, hair, shoes etc, if disturbed - so unless you also dispose of these you potentially will breath the fibres in after you have removed the mask as well as passing them onto your friends and family.
In industry you have a face fit to ensure the respirator / mask fits your face properly. If it doesn't you end up breathing in things thinking you are protected. Also with the likes of asbestos it will also be present on your clothes, bags, hair, shoes etc, if disturbed - so unless you also dispose of these you potentially will breath the fibres in after you have removed the mask as well as passing them onto your friends and family.
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I once worked on a site with automatic CO2 fire extinguishers, in the entrance hall were respirators available. They might work against the smoke, but the lack of oxygen could be a killer... but carrying an oxygen mask could be a life saver, as often there are poisonous gases in old underground buildings. A carbon monoxide detector would be sensible too, as CO has no odour.
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Asbestos is the thing worrying me tbh, Passing anything to my family is what want to avoid, I was in a building briefly the other week and there was a sign inside saying 'Asbestos'
I did not move anything and left hastily. I'm thinking i might hose down my clothes,bags ect before i put them in the wash in future.
Does anyone have any tips or precautions, after care ideas or things they do to avoid the issue.
Do not disturb is the best advice, currently sat in an office with stickers on all the walls saying danger asbestos. It's deemed a safe environment to work in as long as we don't disturb the walls. Many new buildings even up to 2000 used asbestos in their construction, know my house has some at the back.
Go in drains
Found some in my last drain (well 90% sure), insulation on some pipe work under an industrial site.
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To be honest I smoke so asbestos is the least of my worries, I just don't want to effect my family. I'm thinking clothes just for exploring is probably a wise idea, maybe just keep them in the shed 
Cheers for your replies lads
Cheers for your replies lads
Not a great combination though - "Researchers determined that smoking and asbestos exposure collectively can increase the risk of asbestos-related diseases up to 90 percent in some cases, while having little or no causal effect on other diseases."
This has come up a few times in safety briefings / courses in the last few years.
Thanks for the heads up
As TLR says don't disturb asbestos, or anything you don't know what its made of really because it can come in many forms.There's probably going to be fibres in the air anyway, but you could probably say the same about old schools, hospitals, etc that are still in use.
Overall if you're not stupid, don't go around snorting the stuff and be careful where you go, what you touch, etc.. you'll be fine. You could even go as far as having separate clothes for exploring so there's less contamination, if you don't want to go full on PPE'd up
Overall if you're not stupid, don't go around snorting the stuff and be careful where you go, what you touch, etc.. you'll be fine. You could even go as far as having separate clothes for exploring so there's less contamination, if you don't want to go full on PPE'd up
Paper masks aren't worth the box they come in quite frankly, many building sites are now banning them because of that.
ABEK1P3 filters will cover you for most things if you do choose to use one. As a company we use the JSP Force 8 half face masks with press to cheek filters or, where air fed is required, the Sundstrom SR500EX. We also use Industrial Scientific M40 gas monitors which are well worth having if you plan on going where nasty gases like to sit. I use mine on the bog for that exact reason
ABEK1P3 filters will cover you for most things if you do choose to use one. As a company we use the JSP Force 8 half face masks with press to cheek filters or, where air fed is required, the Sundstrom SR500EX. We also use Industrial Scientific M40 gas monitors which are well worth having if you plan on going where nasty gases like to sit. I use mine on the bog for that exact reason
As a precautionary measure I wouldn't bother. As has already been mentioned you need a specific filter for a specific risk, generally.
If you know the exact risk involved then yeah why not. Or don't. Whatever.
I don't recall ever wearing one on an explore, although I do always carry a FFP3 dust mask in my bag.
Plus, they look ridiculous, unless you buy black or grey ones.
If you know the exact risk involved then yeah why not. Or don't. Whatever.
I don't recall ever wearing one on an explore, although I do always carry a FFP3 dust mask in my bag.
Plus, they look ridiculous, unless you buy black or grey ones.
