Scientific & Technical Shortfalls Addressed: Standard gas masks and escape respirators are too bulky to be carried easily on the person or to be stored conveniently in sufficient numbers in public areas such as hallways and are therefore not readily available when needed. Current respirators are not optimized for use by the general public.
Solution: A range of one-size-fits all compact escape respirators that can readily fit in a coat pocket or be carried in a handbag, or stored conveniently in a hallway.
Design Philosophy:
“…personal protective equipment must be readily available when it is needed…”
“If you don’t put PPE on before you leave the barn, you won’t use it.”
La Tourrette et al, NIOSH, 2003
Operational Capability: Designed to meet European EN requirements for respiratory protective devices for self-rescue. Intended for use by first responders and the general population for
Pocket Size: Compact and inconspicuous. Designed to be readily available, it fits easily in a coat pocket or handbag. It’s compact dimensions are three times smaller than standard escape respirators.
One Size Fits all: Swift and simple to use. The Compact Escape Respirator can be quickly and easily donned in less than 30 seconds. Provides protection for the general adult population including those wearing glasses or beards.
Protection against fire hazards, industrial chemicals and principal CBRN agents: The Compact Escape Respirator provides instantly available protection to evacuate to a safe area. The Compact Escape Respirator provides breathing and vision protection to escape from smoke, industrial chemicals and CBRN emergencies. The Compact Escape Respirator also provides unobstructed vision for the wearer and high-visibility for the rescuer because it features a hood that is made from flame and heat resistant yellow polyimide film.
Project Partners: TSWG, Institute for Applied Science, Epicenter.
Tools in the Hands of Users
Innovative Compact Design 
Compact Escape Respirator easily fits in the palm of the hand 
Compact Escape Respirators stored in a readily available hallway dispenser 
Compact Escape Respirator deployed in Smoke – Side View 
Compact Escape Respirator deployed – Front View 
Compact Escape Respirators deployed in fire evacuation training 
In use by fire service for rescuing people from buildings 
Compact Escape Respirator in use in helicopter evacuation 
In use in school evacuation training 
Developer 
TSWG – Development Partner 
Epicenter – Development Partner 
IAS- Development Partner
Scientific Protection 