What is everyone's thoughts on respirators?

[Rainey]

My lungs are already pretty messed up, so I don't bother using proper masks. I live close to a place where they're basically pulling Asbestos out of the ground and chucking it in a decontamination pile, so there you have it. I'll usually tie a shirt round my face and simply bolt it to the exit if I or my accomplices have trouble, this hobby comes with risks, don't it?

 

[Oxygen Thief]

My lungs are already pretty messed up, so I don't bother using proper masks. I live close to a place where they're basically pulling Asbestos out of the ground and chucking it in a decontamination pile, so there you have it. I'll usually tie a shirt round my face and simply bolt it to the exit if I or my accomplices have trouble, this hobby comes with risks, don't it?

You live near Turners by any chance?

 

[Rainey]

You live near Turners by any chance?

No. I live by where PD Fuels and the Greyhound Stadium used to be in Portsmouth. The ground is contaminated with Asbestos and fuels beyond all belief here. Now they're digging the ground up and doing something to it to 'decontaminate' it. I'm sceptical, but I do know it's doing my lungs in.

 

[The Lone Ranger]

I'm sceptical, but I do know it's doing my lungs in.

Sad thing is it will be 20+ years before any side effects of asbestos kicks in, and far too late to be cured. Shit happens!

 

[Rainey]

Sad thing is it will be 20+ years before any side effects of asbestos kicks in, and far too late to be cured. Shit happens!

It does suck. But I won't sit there and mope in 20 years time.

 

[The Lone Ranger]

I'm still going strong 32 years after my first exposure aged 16, T-Shirts over the nose to act as a dust mask while cutting asbestos sheets to size with a grinder; what could possibly go wrong?

 

[Thumper]

Saw someone down Portland wearing a full hazmat suit, respirator, CO2 monitor, CB radio and other equipment. As I was looking for something at the time and didn't want to get busted by this "official" who had already seen me I walked up to them and pleaded ignorance on how to get back to the car park as I was lost. Turns out they were a fellow explorer. He looked like a beekeeper crossed with a hardcore plane spotter, a truly hilarious site and stuck out like a sore thumb!

Chemical moniters are a good idea, as has been mentioned though I think respirators against asbestos are fairly insignificant, it all depends on what you are exploring really, but then, do any of us know what's inside the places we visit? I don't!

 

[Rainey]

Usually asbestos is safe, even if it's lying around on the floor, as long as you don't tread on it and disturb it.

 

[4x4Duster]

I was issued an Alphamesh 8030v at a fire so that I didn't breathe in aspestos particles. I'd do some research so that you're confident what each type looks like, so that you can avoid it if you see it. I don't think you can completely eliminate the risks without using full aspestos removal PPE but you can take other precautions to minimise it I guess.

 

[urbex_nor]

I always keep a mask in my backpack with p3 filters - just in case (better safe than sorry). While there is a lot of talk about asbestos, it's not really a big problem unless you disturb it (aka. get it in the air). Long as you don't lift / throw things around asbestos isn't much of a problem because it will usually stay where it is on the ground. What I would worry about the most is mold and fungi. I've been to several places filled with mold and spores - those things are nasty if you breathe in too much of it.

 

[tigger]

As others have said...protection from asbestos particles is only possible with full PPE. Wearing a mask would help where the airborne contamination is high but you'll be carrying it home (or into friends car etc) on everything else (clothes, camera, torch). How would you store your separate asbestos-ridden exploring clothes? In the shed? Great, more contamination for the rest of the family. How would you handle them? That's right, more airborne particles...whilst you aren't wearing a mask.
I've seen explorers wearing a mask and then take it off and put it into their bag of other gear...only to take it out and put it on again. Not really very sensible.
Be aware of the risks (boring H&S stuff perhaps but we each do risk assessments all of the time without calling it that). Only you can decide at what point the risk of injury/disease outweighs the desire to explore a location. With awareness of the hazards and care the risk is statistically low (yes, there are always exceptions...I have close family experience of the effect of mesothelioma).
urbex_nor also highlights another of the hazards that we often fail to mitigate when in certain types of building.

Can't say I've ever thought about how I might look wearing a respirator (I wear them and BA regularly anyway) but I'm surprised that people consider they look daft given the number of people I see wearing eastern european gas mask hoods as an urbex fashion item ;-)

I carry a respirator when exploring but I've only used one in anger a couple of times and that has been due to industrial dust that was horrible to breath (though not particularly dangerous in itself).