Provided to all Israeli citizens by the Israeli Defense Force.
Also for DrΣger« M-65 NATO model Gas Mask. Special tips added by GRCD.
The Protective Mask:
Your mask is your first line of defense against chemical and biological agents. Take care of it.
1. Masking: Inhaling airborne microorganisms is the greatest danger in biological operations. A properly fitted protective mask, which has been kept in good condition will completely protect you against inhaling microorganisms in the air. Therefore, putting on your protective mask at the first indication or suspicion that the enemy is using a biological agent aerosol is just as important as masking at the first sign of a toxic chemical attack. Since you cannot detect the presence of biological agents, you must continue to wear your mask until you are instructed to remove it.
2. Your Lifesaver: While individual protection in chemical and biological operations is not the result of any single act, one idea should be clear to you - your protective mask is the number one item of protection against toxic chemicals and biological agents. Survival in biological and chemical operations depends upon preventing these agents from getting on or entering your body. While the protective mask alone cannot do this, it does play the major role. It prevents you from inhaling or getting into your eyes all known agent aerosols. To say that your protective mask is a life saver is to state a true and simple fact.
3. How Your Protective Mask Works: A protective mask is a cover, or shield, against harmful substances in the air, just as a house is a shield against wind and rain. To protect you from breathing toxic substances, your mask contains a filter unit. This filter prevents toxic chemical agent vapors and toxic solid or liquid particles from reaching your face, eyes and lungs. When you wear a mask, you draw air into it by inhaling. This air is purified by a filter unit before it enters your nose and mouth. The type of protective field mask you have purchased is the civilian issue, Israeli type with canister filter.
3a. The Israeli Gas Mask: (Note: the inlet plug and enclosure cap on the filter canister must be removed and discarded for the canister to be effective.) As you inhale, the air first passes through the canister, which contains a purifying system consisting of a mechanical filter and chemical filling. The mechanical filter clears the air by trapping tiny solid and liquid particles (in the form of aerosols). Then the chemical filling receives the air and absorbs (condenses and holds) the toxic vapors. Charcoal is used in the filter, because it is a powerful absorbent. After the air is purified by the canister, it passes into your face piece, where it is inhaled. Exhaled air is expelled from the face piece through an outlet valve, which opens to allow this air to escape. This canister mask has two (2) major parts: face piece assembly and the canister filter (40mm).
4. Correct Fit and Adjustment are Important: You know that toxic chemical agents, such as nerve gas, are very deadly. Biological agents may be equally dangerous even though they do not cause immediate irritation and do not produce immediate symptoms. For you to stop breathing and put on a mask upon suspicion of a biological agent aerosol is not enough to keep those agents out of your body. Your mask must fit your head and face so that it will be airtight when you have properly donned it. Many individuals make the mistake of pulling the straps too tight. Correct adjustment does not mean an extremely tight fit, but rather a close fit. Individuals with full beards may believe that they cannot get a good airtight seal unless they shave - this is a myth! In fact, individuals with full beards are able to obtain a better seal than those who shave, a fact which has been proven time and time again - by the Russians.
5. Putting on the Mask - Speed vs. Airtight Seal: You may ask which has the greater importance, speed or the airtight seal. Both are absolutely necessary. You must become expert, both in putting on the mask and getting an airtight seal in a matter of seconds. 4b. Tips on Donning the Mask: You know that, in your everyday life, doing certain things in the same way every time, saves you much time and effort. Donning your protective mask is no more complicated than putting on your hat - if you go through the proper motions and the proper order.
a. In removing your mask from the box (or carrier bag or case), always grasp it in the area of the nose cup, which is below the eyepieces. Remember that dirty prints on the eyepieces will interfere with your vision and will only have to be removed. Never remove the mask by pulling on the outlet valve (round black soft rubber at the nose. Covered by a kevlar screen on the M65).
*Tip 1 - On the Drager M65, to prepare your mask for first time fitting, you will need to do a few things to it first. The 5 point harness system has one strap at the top, two above the ears, and two straps below. Each strap has a stubby lock strap. These straps must be loosened and pulled out to enable you to adjust the straps. Now if you need more slack to get the mask over your head, you can make it available. For the first time fitting, try leaving the top three straps the way they are and loosen the bottom two. These bottom two are the most obstructive when you pull the mask over your head. The lock straps are tough to wrestle out- and they should be, but you only have to go through this routine once.
*Tip 2 - unscrew the threaded part of the filter and leave the plastic valve tab on the front. Screw the filter in tight, but not excessively as to strip the threads.
b. To put your mask on, grasp the face piece with both hands and slide your thumbs inside so that the face piece is opened to the fullest extent. Grasping the head harness tends to pull the edges together which makes it difficult to get the mask over your face.
c. Seat your chin into the chin pocket firmly and take an adequate breath in as you bring the head harness over your head, be sure that all straps are straight and that the head "pad" is centered, otherwise the mask will be uncomfortable and may not seat properly around the face piece. Head straps are a bit hard to pull and can be best adjusted by a quick jerk or pull, rather than a steady pull. Use firm and outward strokes to smooth edges of the face piece back while pressing it to your face.
d. Always quickly clear your mask: To clear the canister type mask, cup the palm of your right hand over the opening of the outlet valve (nose)- with your elbow pointing toward the ground and blow that breath you were holding into the mask with the air already in your lungs. Air will only escape around the face piece, forcing any contaminated air out the back. NOW PULL THE FRONT SEAL TAB and draw in the air. To test for leaks, place the palm of your hand over the air inlet of the canister and breath in slowly.
*Tip 3 - If you feel any air leaks, press the facepiece down on it and adjust the nearest strap accordingly with a quick jerk.
e. Removing the mask: (Unfasten the neck strap Israeli only), grasp the mask in the nose cup area and use a downward, outward, then upward motion. Never remove the mask by grasping the outlet valve on the canister type unit.
* Tip 4 - Now that you are all fitted, lock the staps back in with the strap locks on all but the bottom two. You may need to loosen these particular two when donning and then retighten them when it is back on. I always just leave these two undone. Notice how hard you can pull the DrΣger straps. They are tough. They will stay plenty tight. Once the top three are done for the first time, you can forget them forever - they are done.
f. Take care to properly replace your mask in the carrier. This is well worth the few seconds it takes. the next time you have to take it out and get it on - it may be "for real." Make sure that the head harness and carry strap are folded inside the face piece. Again, keep your hands off the eyepiece.
* Tip 5- For the Drager M65, point the mask into the carry case nose down. This way it slides down and in tightly but with relative ease. There is enough room for one fresh filter canister to fit on top perfectly. A copy of these instructions should be folded and placed in the supplied snap compartment under the lid. The lid snap is very tight on the hard cases. Grasp the case tightly and yank the cordura loop at the end of the snap lock. ***NOTE: Improper placement of the mask into the carrier can permenantly disfigure the mask - ESPECIALLY if you fail to remove the used filter first before you put it in. The rubber will warp into the wrong shape and destroy any chance of a proper seal.
6. It's Your Baby: you are responsible for the care of your protective mask. In view of the potential dangers of biological and chemical threats, it hardly seems necessary to explain in detail why you must take excellent care of your mask (you should never carry the canister inside the face piece of the canister-type mask). Water will damage the filter element in the canister of your protective mask, destroying their efficiency. Use a waterproofing bag during continued hard rain, and at any time when water is likely to soak through the mask carrier.
In a personal decontamination procedure, take a strong disinfectant placed on a cloth and wipe the outside rubber areas of the mask, then remove your mask just before you step under the shower.
*Tip 6 - Filter replacement in the field. If you have more than one filter and are forced to use the mask under an extended period of exposure, here is how to replace the depleting filter with a fresh one. Don't wait until the filter is sure to expire, which under extreem circumstances can be within 3 hours. First step is to get the next filter ready. Unscrew the threaded cap cover, not the plastic tab and hold the threaded part to your belly. Draw in you last big breath and hold it as you begin to unscrew the old filter from your facepiece. Do a controlled, slow exhale as you rapidly unscrew the filter completely. An added trick is to cover the nose valve with the cup of your hand and use it to stop and start you exhalation when you need added control. Don't let the breath out too fast. You have the new filter coming up to the thread hole now right away as you are still exhaling. Quickly screw the next filter in as you finish exhaling. Pull the front tab and draw your breath. The exhaling manuver is to pressurize the inside of the mask to prevent anything from coming in during the momentary abscence of a filter canister. It might be helpfull to run through this procedure just in case.
