Reminder: the Oxygen Mask Must Cover the Mouth and Nose
If you’ve ever flown an airplane, you’ve heard the chatter about an oxygen mask. If you looked up from the phone, you even saw the flight attendant demonstrate exactly how to put it on. And yet people who recently flew to the southwest were still mistaken:
The mask is a tiny round cup and it may be unclear exactly how to wear it at this point. But an oxygen mask works best if you can put it on over your mouth and nose and tighten so that there is as little room as possible for the oxygen to escape. If you need help remembering how to wear it, there is a picture right on the bag .
Masks are required when the cockpit loses pressure at high altitudes. At the cruising heights of commercial airlines, the air is thin enough that we would not be able to remain conscious if that was all we needed to breathe. Thus, during each flight, excess pressure is created in the cockpit, as a result of which additional air enters the plane so that we can breathe normally. But if a hole bursts in the plane or there is a problem with the pressurization system, the masks will fall out of their little compartments.
Masks provide enough oxygen for only 15 minutes or so. This time should be sufficient for the pilot to lower the aircraft to a low enough altitude that they are not needed.
Here’s the meaning of those other oxygen mask facts you’ve heard hundreds of times:
- “Pull on mask to start oxygen flow” – The pull pulls in the rod in the oxygen generator, which causes it to mix certain chemicals together. Oxygen is one of the by-products of this reaction and flows into the bag and tube.
- Bag may not inflate – Oxygen is constantly produced by chemicals in the generator, so if you are not breathing, the bag will hold oxygen until you do. When this happens, he can puff. But if you are breathing or your mask is leaking, oxygen will escape from the bag before it can fill. In any case, oxygen is still being supplied and you should continue to use the mask. For best results, try to get a snug fit.
- “Protect your mask before helping others” – depending on the altitude, people will have anywhere from a few seconds to minutes of “useful consciousness” without supplemental oxygen. You don’t want to waste this time fighting your baby while you yourself are experiencing a lack of oxygen.