Health and Safety Uses
Modern balaclavas are used in outdoor winter sports activities such as skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, running or winter bicycling to help protect the face from the cold wind and maintain warmth.
Motorcyclists also wear one under their safety helmets for similar reasons; balaclavas also help to keep the inner lining of the helmet clean.
Most commonly firefighters will wear a fire resistant balaclava, otherwise known as a Nomex Hood, when responding to a fire call along with their SCBA and Bunker Gear. This balaclava covers the head and neck, with an open face; typically covered by the mask portion of the SCBA. This is used to help minimize the risk of potentially fatal burns to the upper back, neck, scalp and face.
Racing drivers must wear balaclavas made of fire-retardant material underneath their crash helmets in order to improve protection in case of a fire following an accident, and commonly cover the nose and mouth to reduce inhalation of smoke and fumes. Dragster-racing drivers usually wear balaclavas which have just two separate eye holes because of the increased fire risk.
In China, balaclavas are even used as sun protection.
Read more about this topic: Balaclava (clothing)
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