John Stenhouse, of Glasgow, Scotland, designed a mask (picture left) in 1850 that used wood charcoal as a filtering material. The facepiece was velvet lined for a tight fit and used an elastic head band. Stenhouse did not patent his mask but gave it to the public. Within a few years, chemical manufacturers in London were supplying their workmen with charcoal respirators.

The history of protective masks can be traced to the 16th century. This brief history, by the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command in 1999 , covers some of the highlights of the long history of the protective mask. It contains wonderful drawings and photographs of both civilian and military respirators. The development of the U.S. Army protective mask dates back to World War I when chemical warfare was first introduced on a large scale.

The short publication - HISTORY OF THE ARMY’S PROTECTIVE MASK - is available for viewing and downloading at the library of the US Army Chemical Corps Museum: http://www.wood.army.mil/ccmuseum/ccmuseum/main.swf

This clip is from the 1959 film, "Asbestos: a Matter of Time," by the Bureau of Mines (US Department of the Interior.) This clip describes key properties of asbestos and some of its uses in the 1950s. It does NOT mention that inhaling asbestos dust, can cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, even though asbestos manufacturers knew of these diseases by the 1930s.


Tens of thousands of (mostly) workers in the US and around the world have been made sick and died from asbestos exposure. And the tragedy continues today. For more information, go to the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) website - http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/

This clip can be downloaded - follow my link, Download my OSH Clips, and look in the asbestos clips folder.

I've also posted the entire 1959 film, "Asbestos: a Matter of Time," on GoogleVideo for viewing and downloading. Go to http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1175739291888112589 .

The disposal of drums of sodium into Lake Lenore, an alkaline lake in the Grand Coulee area of eastern Washington State, in 1947 by the War Assets Administration.

One of the strongest exothermic (heat releasing) chemical reaction occurs when pure sodium and water come into contact. As these two substances react, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas are formed. The exothermic nature of the reaction causes the hydrogen to catch fire and burn..

Download a copy of this clip for use in teaching and training (nonprofit use only) by clicking on the link, Download my OSH clips, in my Links list to the left.

This clip is one of more than eight hundred posted to my YouTube channel, Workplace and Environmental Health and Safety Films, http://www.youtube.com/user/markdcatlin .

This clip is from a January 13, 1947 newsreel available at the Internet Archive.

Check out this clip from the Periodic Table of Videos on YouTube for basic information on sodium (and to watch small amounts of sodium react with water):