What must you inspect on hoods and helmets to ensure secure breathing?

Inspecting hoods and helmets for rips and tears is essential to ensure secure breathing for several reasons. The integrity of these protective gear pieces is crucial in maintaining a safe environment, particularly in scenarios that involve exposure to harmful substances or environments where respiratory protection is necessary.

Rips and tears can compromise the ability of the material to form a proper seal around the face, leading to potential leakage of contaminants. Moreover, a damaged hood or helmet may not provide adequate protection against particulate matter or chemical exposure. Therefore, checking for any signs of damage like rips and tears is a key maintenance step to ensure that the equipment functions as intended, protecting the user and ensuring they can breathe safely without inhalation of harmful agents.

While other aspects of the gear, such as wiring and fixtures, padding, and color visibility, may be important for functionality and comfort, they do not directly influence the effectiveness of breathing protection as rips and tears do.