Welcome to the SCBA re-certification for 2020

Background

The actions of MCFRS in regards to the use of SCBA are governed by Code of Federal Regulations Title 29 (OSHA) Part 1910.134 -Respiratory Protection. Among many requirements, the regulation requires personnel to train on various elements of SCBA usage on an annual basis.

The objectives of this site are to provide you with refreshers on the necessities for use, maintenance, inspection, and limitations of the Scott 5.5 SCBA. In addition, a short review of emergency procedures will be provided, but personnel must physically demonstrate competence in performing emergency procedures for their supervisor. There are hyperlinks throughout this presentation, which you should click to gain additional insight into the aspects of our SCBA. After review of the information herein, personnel must take and pass an exam to an accuracy of at least 80%. All of the material contained herein may be subject to placement on the exam.

Use

All combustion reactions produce by-products, the question is whether those by-products are toxic to you or not. Combustion of pure natural gas produces carbon dioxide and water-under normal circumstances these by-products are not harmful to us. Burning items that are normally found in a structure fire is a different story, i.e. furniture, carpet, upholstery, paints, fire-resistant coatings, chemically-treated wood, plastics, etc. When these or other man-made products burn, toxic compounds that have serious harmful effects are produced-there is much more to smoke than meets the eye.

OSHA dictates that personnel shall use SCBA when encountered with Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) atmospheres or during interior structural firefighting (OSHA 1910.134 (g)(4)(iii)). OSHA defines an IDLH as:

An atmospheric concentration of any toxic, corrosive or asphyxiant substance that poses an immediate threat to life or would cause irreversible or delayed adverse health effects or would interfere with an individual’s ability to escape from a dangerous atmosphere.

The IDLH values for substances are developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and are used by OSHA in determining respiratory requirements. NIOSH has developed IDLH values for over 370 substances, and more are being added on a regular basis.

• In a research paper presented to NIST in 2009, Professor David Purser asserts that products of combustion threatening survival during and immediately after a fire include: carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, carbonyl fluoride, various nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, phosphoric acid, formaldehyde, styrene, phenol, acrolein, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, inhalable fibers such as asbestos and ceramic, and many more.
• Professor Purser asserts that the main exposure hazards to personnel on the fire scene are to non-SCBA users on the exterior of a structure who are exposed to diluted fire effluent, and to personnel participating in overhaul/clean-up operations (from environmental contamination).

Purser, D. (2009). Toxic hazards to fire fighters, including effects of fire retardants, during fires and post-fire investigation activities. Retrieved from https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/el/fire_research/4-Purser.pdf .

Personnel must be keen to remember that hazardous atmospheres don't only exist in the presence of structure fires. Many gases, when present in sufficiently large quantities, may displace oxygen and produce oxygen-deficient atmospheres; these gases may be called asphyxiants. Asphyxiants include common gases we encounter on a regular basis, such as carbon dioxide and methane, and those we see less frequently, such as argon and helium. Certain chemical processes, such as fermentation and corrosion, will consume oxygen and also cause oxygen-deficient atmospheres. Still other gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, may displace and/or combine with oxygen to produce dangerous atmospheres. The moral of this paragraph is to be prepared to safely use your self-contained breathing apparatus at all times.

Inspection and Maintenance

Prior to use:

• Personnel must be fit-tested prior to initial use and at least annually afterwards (OSHA 1910.134(f));
• Personnel must avoid any condition that interferes with the face-to-facepiece seal and valve function (OSHA 1910.134 (g)(1)(i)(b);
• All respirators maintained for use in emergency situations shall be inspected at least monthly and in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, and shall be checked for proper function before and after each use (OSHA 1910.134 (h)(3)(i)(B));
• Personnel should inspect tightness of connections, and the condition of the various parts including, but not limited to, the facepiece, head straps, valves, connecting tube, and cartridges, canisters or filters (OSHA 1910.134 (h)(3)(ii)(A));
• Air and oxygen cylinders shall be maintained in a fully charged state and shall be recharged when the pressure falls to 90% of the manufacturer's recommended pressure level (OSHA 1910.134 (h)(3)(iii));

During use:

• Personnel must perform a seal check each time they put on the SCBA (OSHA 1910.134 (g)(1)(iii). Details of the OSHA Negative Pressure Check procedure may be found here;
• At least two employees enter the IDLH atmosphere and remain in visual or voice contact with one another at all times (OSHA 1910.134 (g)(4)(i));
• At least two employees are located outside the IDLH atmosphere (OSHA 1910.134 (g)(4)(ii));

After use:

• Personnel shall clean and disinfect SCBA according to OSHA 1910.134 Appendix B-2, at minimum

All of the OSHA mandates are embedded in the MCFRS Respiratory Protection Policy #26-06AMII.

Technical

Emergency Procedures

RIT Pack

Pak Tracker