Respirator

A respirator is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling harmful dust, fumes, vapours and/or gases. Respirators come in a wide range of types and sizes used by the military, private industry, and the public.

For rubber fetishists, they are a convenient alternative to a gas mask.

There are two main categories: the air-purifying respirator, which forces contaminated air through a filtering element, and the air-supplied respirator, in which an alternate supply of fresh air is delivered, similar to scuba apparatus. Within each category, different techniques are employed to reduce or eliminate noxious airborne contents.

See also

• Gas mask
• Gas mask safety
• Scuba