Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Remaining Service-Life Indicator Performance Requirements

As a component of its ongoing update of respirator certification standards under Part 84 and in response to a petition to amend 42 CFR 84.83(F), HHS proposes a revision to the current requirement for open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus (OC- SCBA) remaining service-life indicators (indicators), which are devices built into a respirator to alert the user that the breathing air provided by the respirator is close to depletion. HHS intends to revise the current standard, employed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) located within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to allow greater latitude in the setting of the indicator alarm to ensure that the alarm more effectively meets the different worker protection needs of different work operations. This revision sets a default service life at 25 percent of the rated service time and allows the indicator to be adjusted higher by the manufacturer, at the request of the purchaser.

Agency Contact: Jonathan Szalajda, NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL), P.O. Box 18070, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, (412) 386-5200 (this is not a toll-free number).