January 16, 2002—The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is beginning a new program to approve self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for use by fire fighters and other first responders after terrorist attacks.
A self-contained breathing apparatus is a type of respirator commonly used by fire fighters that provides air to users from a pressurized supply cylinder or tank carried on the back.
NIOSH approval under the program will signify that an SCBA is expected to provide needed protection to first responders in situations where an act of terror has released harmful chemicals, pathogens, or radioactive materials into the air.
Approvals will be based on positive results from tests on sample units submitted to NIOSH by manufacturers, and from evaluation of manufacturers’ quality-control practices, technical specifications, and other documentation. These positive results will demonstrate that the device provides the required level of protection against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents.
Products that meet the NIOSH requirements will be included on a list of special SCBAs approved by NIOSH for use by first responders in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear emergencies. In addition, the products’ manufacturers will be authorized to label them as “CBRN Agent Approved” by NIOSH.
The new program builds on NIOSH’s long-established program for approving respirators in traditional workplace settings such as mines, industrial plants, construction sites, and health care facilities, in situations where potential hazards generally have been identified and respirators typically are used as part of a larger occupational safety and health program.
For more information, contact NIOSH.
