Smoke Hood Escape Set – Confined Space Emergency Escape

In confined space work, emergency escape equipment can play a critical role if conditions deteriorate unexpectedly.

Smoke hood escape sets are designed to provide short-term respiratory protection, allowing workers to safely evacuate areas affected by smoke, toxic gases or oxygen deficiency.

In this REAX training video, we demonstrate the correct method for deploying and donning a smoke hood escape set during an emergency situation.

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Smoke hood escape sets are intended for emergency evacuation, not for prolonged work in hazardous atmospheres.

Their purpose is to provide a limited supply of breathable air or filtered protection while the user exits the hazardous environment.

In confined spaces, emergencies may arise from:

• Fire or smoke
• Toxic gas release
• Oxygen deficiency
• Chemical exposure

Having escape equipment available is important, but workers must also know how to deploy it quickly and correctly.

Incorrect use can reduce the effectiveness of the equipment and delay evacuation.

Practical Steps / Key Takeaways

When deploying a smoke hood escape set, several important steps should be followed:

• Ensure the escape set is oriented correctly so the opening handle is accessible
• Pull the operating handle to release the securing pin
• Remove the smoke hood from the container
• Listen for the air supply activating
• Remove your helmet to prevent damage to the neoprene neck seal
• Place hands inside the seal and pull the hood over the head
• Ensure the nose and mouth are positioned inside the nasal mask
• Exit the hazardous environment immediately

It is important to note that helmets cannot normally be worn with smoke hood escape sets, as they may interfere with the air reservoir.

Users should therefore take extra care to protect against head injuries during evacuation.

We emphasise that emergency escape equipment must be supported by training, familiarisation and practical drills.

Workers should understand where escape equipment is located, how to deploy it quickly and when it should be used.

Escape sets form part of a wider confined space safety strategy, which includes risk assessments, atmospheric monitoring, rescue planning and emergency procedures.

Through our training courses, we help teams build the knowledge and confidence required to operate safely in confined space environments.

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