Since the recent chemical bombing in Syria, we have been receiving more and more requests for sarin gas respiratory protection…
Sarin (GB) is odorless, colorless and volatile (liquida te ambient temperature) and belongs to the family of the organophosphates. It is extremely toxic for humans and animals. It is estimated that this gas is 500 times more toxic than cyanide.
This is a neurotoxic - like the soman (GD), the tabun (GA) and the VX (10 times more lethal than sarin) – extremely dangerous (0.01 ppm of this gas can be lethal) entering through the respiratory tract or just through skin contact (but can also be used to poison water or food) and goes directly into blood to act on the nervous system. It blocks the transmission of sensory impulses, causing death by a cardio respiratory arrest. Casualties first feel violent headaches and their pupils are dilated. They then convulse, experience respiratory arrests before falling into coma and dying.
The sarin gas is considered as a chemical warfare, before being classified as a « wearpon of mass destruction » by the United Nations on april 3 1991 (resolution 687). Thus, its production and conservation are forbidden since 1993
How being protected against sarin gas (sarin gas mask) ?
Don’t forget that the gas mask (or rather anti-gas mask) only protects the repiratory tract. As mentioned above, the sarin gas can also be absorbed through the skin –NBC le gaz sarin peut également être absorbé par la peau (NBD protection gear necessary) or ingested …
For the respiratory protection against sarin gas, we recommend a panoramic gas masks with a filtering cartridge type ABEK2-P3 (also codified as A2B2E2K2-P3) covering a wide range of hazards:
Each filtering cartridge is qualified according to a group of letters (the protection type: A-B-E-K-P) and figures (the absorption class : 1-2-3) :
A : Organic gas and vapor (solvents) with a boiling point superior to 65°C
B : Inorganic gas and vapor (chlorine, hydrogen sulphide, sulfure d’hydrogène, hydrogen cyanide).
E : Acid gas and vapor, like the sulphur dioxide.
K : Ammonia and organic compounds
P : Solid and liquid particles, Particules solides et liquides, radioactive and highly toxic particles, bacteria and viruses
Available in GazDetect website, our tool « How to choose the filtering cartridge » allows you to determine the type of cartridge you need according to the gas(es) encountered with the definition of every available cartridge…
Even more « protective », a powered air assisted respirator (like the TORNADO from Scott Safety) with an integrale hood made of hypalon (high resistance to chemical products) covering the whole head and the shoulders (used with an NBC protection gear) and a filtering cartridge A2B2E2K2Hg-PSL
The powered air assisted respirator TORNADO is composed by 3 units : the ventilation system (the « motor »),the filtering cartridge(s) and the face piece (hood, mask…). The motor sucks ambient air through the filters and inject it in the head protection via a corrugated hose.
The assisted ventilation reduce the breathing effort and the fatigue due to the use of a filtering respiratory protection device. This is a respiratory protection system particularly adapted for long-lenght works or in case of high temperature. The overpressure generated in the hood vy the assisted ventilation ensures a high protection nominal factor.
Every filtering respiratory protections (gas masks, powered air assisted respirators…) imperatively needs a minimal volume of oxygen of 17% otherwise it will be necessary to use a self-contained breathing apparatus …