I would not have thought that dust masks were what the original query
into 'Face Protection' referred to. Perhaps Phil could enlighten us
further.
Certainly dust masks, with proper filters, were being introduced in
the late 1960s. However, they were very uncomfortable to wear for
long periods and were not popular. They had a high breathing
resistance which made it difficult for anyone with chest problems to
wear them. At that time the average age of a collier was, if i
remember correctly, over 45, so there were a lot of old miners about
who had the onset of lung disease. I recall that i had men working for
me who would oblige me by wearing dust masks, but they would take the
filters out so that they could breath! Hence the introduction of the
Airflow Dust Helmet which addressed these problems. However, its
revolutionary appearance made it unpopular as well, so its use was
restricted to, say, shearer drivers. The DIY type of dust mask became
popular later, these have a psychological effect, but unfortunately do
not protect against the extremely small dust particles which cause
pneumoconiosis.
Barry.
Barry Job.
Eur. Ing. Dr. Barry Job,
Department of Geology,
School of Sciences,
Staffordshire University,
College Road,
Stoke-on-Trent,
ST4 2DE.
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