Sanitizing oxygen mask

[roblp]

Does anyone know if there is a product other than the "sani-com" wipe that might be more effective in sanitizing the quick donning o2 masks?

[kijangnim]

Greetings,
Just curious, what do you use before a french kiss :hmm:?

[bucket_and_spade]

If it's got to the stage of having to don an O2 mask, bugs are the least of my worries!

B&S ;)

[CJ Driver]

Roblp - I don't actually know what a Sani-Com is, but we use a form of medical wipes which are cheap and completely effective; they are generic alcohol based wipes bought from your local pharmacy.

Bucket and Spade - whilst some O2 masks can be tested without putting them on, some more primitive ones need you to essentially suck on them to properly preflight, at which point you're sucking on the same mask that countless previous pilots have also sucked on. Yeugh.

[bucket_and_spade]

Ah, noted :ok:

Lovely - must be great for bolstering the immune system...after the initial months of colds and coughs!

B&S

[dazdaz]

Never failed for me.................................

Cillit Bang (http://www.cillitbang.co.uk/)

[Dream Land]

Having worked on an ambulance and in the ER, don't waste your time with the alcohol wipes. A weak solution of chlorine bleach is one of the only things that is actually killing germs.

D.L.

[DenizD]

I think Aeroflot recommends vodka after every maintenance check.


Wrong, yes
Funny, maybe
Vodka as an effective alcoholic cleanser,.....it smells like it could be

[roblp]

To Dream Land
Thanks for that tip I will look it.

To Bucket and Spade
Not sure of your UK rules but US FAA requires one pilot to be using O2 if the other one leaves the seat when above FL 250.

Roblp

[bucket_and_spade]

roblp,

Interesting, didn't know that. No requirement for that in the UK airline I fly for (flying the 757). We just check O2 flow and the the mask mic on the ground with the mask still stowed, before flight.

I've heard about the requirement to have at least one pilot on O2 above something like 42,000' - can't remember the details of the requirement though...

Best rgds,

B&S :ok:

[Zoner]

These work well and come in a carry pack. (Roll over the small green icon on the right side of the page.) I get them at Wal-mart.
Clorox.com - Clorox Disinfecting Wipes (http://www.clorox.com/products/overview.php?prod_id=cdw)

[kijangnim]

Greetings,
Clorox is fantastic :ok:until some drops get on your trousers :hmm:

[Checkboard]

I prefer NOT to clean masks/headsets etc. I work hard enough that I want to catch the cold for the few extra days off. :hmm:

[roblp]

Bucket and Spade, do you know of a web site where I can find the UK flight regulations.

I would like to compare the US and UK rules about the use of O2 for the flight crew.

All jokes aside, there is a health issue with four different pilots having to use the same mask, on augmented crew segments, without a sound method of decontaminating it.

[bucket_and_spade]

Have had a quick look around, including CAP393 (The Air Navigation Order) on www.caa.co.uk (http://www.caa.co.uk)), but can't find a reference. Noticed a few mentions of FL410 and FAA requirements - maybe it's an FAA requirement I remember reading and not JAA/CAA...

B&S :confused:

[FFS-KLOOT]

What is wrong with the Sani-com wipes anyway?

I find they do the job, never picked a bug up nor heard of anyone having gone sick because of ppl goobing in masks and not wiping after use.

[roblp]

FSS-KLOOT,

Probably nothing wrong with them just that in spite of the name, they are not a germacide. The company advertizes them as cleaner and deodereizor.

CELESTE INDUSTRIES - Sani-Com® Sanitizing Wipe (http://www.celestecorp.com/sanicom.html)

I received a couple of good tips from responses to this question, but I was hoping that some airline or military outfit might be using an actual germacide on their O2 masks and microphones.

I think that most health organizations would disagree that there is no risk of trasmiting a cold or flu via masks and mikes.

Thanks to every one for the information.

roblp

[Terry McCassey]

. . . got to be a bit careful where in the world you are before you recommend the use of alcohol based mask cleaners !

[ecureilx]

time ago - I used to work with russian air crew, who used vodka for everything, from cleaning the spectacles, to wiping the windscreen, cleaning rusted nutes, to cleaning minor cuts, and wounds and scratches and whatever in between, and swore Vodka is the best anti-septic / cleaner / detergent ever invented :E :E

The part that they loved about vodka was - they used to energize themeselves before a flight (that was the scary part)

I was young and didnt know anything about drunken driving, forget about - little drunken flying. That was far off and in a different land.

[TownsvilleRefueller]

We used to use a bit of AVGAS on them... cleaned up the germs a real treat...



then the plastic dissolved.

Stopped using it after that.

[tom775257]

Sanicom wipes do include Benzalkonium chloride which acts as a germicidal agent.

[DC9_driver]

Best wipes out there are made by Virox Technologies in Canada. Their Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide wipes are both a cleaner and disinfectant.

These are the ideal product for both cleaning and proper disinfecting of masks and communications equipment (mics, headsets and handsets). It is particularly good for simulators where the masks are used by many people and the lines use air and not oxygen.

Virox Technologies Inc. (http://www.virox.com/)

KVG Group Inc. - The Foot Care Experts (http://www.kvggroup.com/accelcanada.html)

[fly-dad]

Most likely the most violated regulations in the US......never violated it myself :yuk::yuk::oh::

121.333 (http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=39daa4b83bb613496a2d321d16c0adb2&rgn=div5&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.4.19&idno=14#14:2.0.1.4.19.11.10.24)

91.211 (http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=39daa4b83bb613496a2d321d16c0adb2&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3.10.3.7.6&idno=14)

[fly-dad]

Bucket and Spade, do you know of a web site where I can find the UK flight regulations.

I would like to compare the US and UK rules about the use of O2 for the flight crew.


The only reference I could find was JAR OPS 1-770 (http://www.jaa.nl/publications/jars/jar-ops-1.pdf). It doesn't say anything about requiring one pilot to put on O2 if the other pilot leaves the flight deck when above 25,000 feet.