Peace of Mind Smoke Hood

• Filters smoke and bacteriological contaminants
• Provides 20 minutes of breathable air
• Lightweight, compact format
• Clear see-through high heat resistant nylon film allows full range of vision
• No mouth piece - allows user to communicate freely

Not for use in a fire:
I had found this product on line previously, it is distributed by many companies and is being promoted as an escape hood for use in the event of a fire. I am a Public Education Officer for a fire department in Ontario Canada and sent the information on this product to the Fire Marshal of Ontario, their response is as follows; Thanks for sending in the info. A quick web search revealed that a lot of companies are selling this over the Internet for anywhere from $30.00 to $50.00. Below is the text of an email that was sent to UHA International Inc., the distributors in Quebec. I am not sure how much effect this will have, given that they are out of province. We also sent a copy to one of the product safety people at Health Canada. The Peace of Mind Evacuation Hood was brought to our attention by a fire department that was concerned about its effectiveness. After examining your brochure, specifications and Test Report J1727, the Office of the Fire Marshal has serious concerns about the suitability of this product for sale in Ontario. Your literature states that the hood was tested by ICS Laboratories Inc. in Ohio and meets the N99 standard. ICS Laboratories is not accredited by the Standards Council of Canada as a testing laboratory. The N99 standard is for particulate matter only. There is no indication in any of the test information that this hood is capable of filtering out toxic gases, including carbon monoxide. There are two test standards that could apply to emergency escape masks: ANSI/ISEA 110-2003, an American standard entitled American National Standard for Air-Purifying Respiratory Protective Smoke Escape Devices, and EN 403:1993, a European standard entitled Respiratory Protective Devices for Self-Rescue. The Peace of Mind Evacuation Hood has not been tested to either of these standards. Your specifications state that the filter has a 99.9% efficiency at 0.3 microns. Even if this is correct it is largely irrelevant. Fire deaths caused by dust inhalation are very rate. The vast majority of smoke inhalation fatalities are caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if the hood did cause a reduction in the irritant effect of the dust particles this would be of little benefit. Most smoke contains some acrolein which is a very potent irritant of mucous members, including the eyes and respiratory track. The filter will have no effect on reducing the amount of acrolein a person is exposed to. Some of the information provided with the mask could leave the user with the impression that the mask provides a higher level of protection than it really does. For example, your website states that "It provides 20 minutes of breathable air allowing you precious time to evacuate". Actually, the hood does not provide any amount of breathable air because it does not remove any of the toxic gases. In a great many fires, the wearer would already have succumbed to the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning long before 20 minutes. Persons wearing the escape mask may have a false sense of security, which could result in them not quickly evacuating the fire area or even re-entering a burning building. This could result in them becoming trapped by the fire or overcome by toxic gases. There is some disparity in the information on your website as to what temperature the evacuation hood can actually withstand. Heat resistance is quoted as being anywhere from 392oF (200oC) to 480oF (249oC). Hoods that meet the standard for air-purifying respiratory protective smoke escape devices, ANSI/ISEA 110-2003, are tested using an 800oC flame. The filter material itself does not appear to have been tested for flammability. The filter is located directly in front of the wearer's mouth and nose. If it ignites, the wearer would immediately be breathing air sufficiently hot to damage his or her lungs. Everyone in the fire service knows how quickly people can be overcome by the effects of smoke. Persons may be put at greater risk of serious injury or death when they delay escape and notification to the fire department because they are wearing a device they think provides more protection than it actually does. Based on the information provided on your website, we can only conclude that the Peace of Mind Evacuation Hood does not meet any applicable standard, does not do what it is advertised as doing and may actually be putting people in danger. If you have any additional test information showing that the Peace of Mind Evacuation Hood will provide an appropriate level of protection we would be happy to review it.