Working on large chemical plants We sometimes are issues escape hoods. Dreiger seems to be popular.

I always wonder about these units. It sounds like a good idea but the cost is quite high. Often the single-use-only escape hood that is only rated for 15 minutes is most of the price of a full-face respirator and hood that could, given a change of filter/s, could be used many times and would give you far more time than just 15 minutes.

Anyone else noticed this? Opinions?

There could be several reasons to issue single-use escape hood rather then full-face masks/respirator with changeable filters:

Facial hair: If any of the employees have beards or other facial hair that could interfere with the full-face mask/respirator from sealing correctly, they cannot be utilized. It might make it a challenge for the employer to set a no facial hair policy.

Fit and respiratory compliance testing are required annually for the use of a full-face mask/respirator. Each employee would have to receive a respiratory evaluation to make sure they can use a full-face mask/respirator and must then also be fitted with a properly sized full-face mask/respirator.

This could end up costing the employer more then simply issuing a single-use escape hood.

Pete

I was thinking along the same lines as Pete. I can't remember if I actually created a post about it when the news was first announced, but I think it will come as a surprise to most people that it was only in the past year IIRC that the FDA approved the first respirator (aka face mask) for pandemic flu for use by the general public. The N95/N99/N100 masks that many of us stocked up on during the SARS or avian flu scare days are all meant to be worn by health care workers (or in a "work" setting). As Pete points out, there are various in-house, OSHA and other agency rules about facial hair, training, fit testing, periodic review, etc. Really, personal protection is generally not just about the equipment itself. There's a whole system around it.

A single use smoke hood would need to be tested against various size heads, with long hair, beards to make sure that they provide protection without any formal fit testing. The packaging and instructions generally is also scrutinized to make sure that normal people can understand them without a trainer around to explain their proper use. You can sell smoke hoods to the general public, but there's gotta be liability issues to marketing protective gear to the general public versus for occupational use that we don't realize.

I'm still surprised that the US does not yet have a smoke hood certification standard like many other countries. Well, actually, maybe not so surprised. I suppose once you have a standard in place that certifies that the smoke hoods work, companies worry that the gov't will require them to spend money to make them available in buildings, on ships, airlines, etc.

Steve, before I became aware of the MyXcaper, I bought the Aeromedix hood you highlighted for my son's college BOB. It looks like a quality piece of equipment and the reviews I read were favorable. Note however that its a much larger and heavier package then the MyXcaper.

Fair enough but and undoubtedly sound reasons enough for institutional users to prefer these small 15 minute units but, for the most part, the people on this site are not subject to the same set of considerations.

An institutional user would prefer a one-size-fits-all and containerized unit that can be simply issues one per person without regard to problems of fitting. And of course a pre-packaged unit also eliminates many of the legal problems. If the escape hood fails to work as advertised the family of the deceased are going to sue everyone but mostly it is the hood manufacturer that gets nailed as long and use guidelines were followed.

The non-institutional user doesn't need a one-size solution because the unit can be fitted to each person beforehand. Hirsute individuals can opt for respirators or hoods that allow for this deviant style statement. Also there aren't going to be so many legal concerns. The main down side and concern is dying, not the financial liability if they get sued.