After removing ESSEX hood, what should you do to remove oxygen from hair?

• A. Recheck seal.
• B. Run fingers through hair (shake hair) to remove oxygen.
• C. Wash hair.
• D. Apply lotion.

Answer: (B)

After you remove the ESSEX hood, pockets of oxygen can remain trapped in the hair. Shaking the hair or running fingers through it helps loosen and disperse that gas, allowing the oxygen to escape away from the head. This directly reduces the chance of an oxygen-enriched area near the scalp, which could raise fire risk if a spark or flame is present. Rechecking a seal, washing the hair, or applying lotion doesn’t remove the residual oxygen from hair, so they aren’t the appropriate actions here. The essential step is to physically agitate the hair to release and dissipate the remaining oxygen.