Fire Fighter Fatality/Injury SCBA Evaluation Overview Thomas Pouchot General Engineer National...
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Transcript of Fire Fighter Fatality/Injury SCBA Evaluation Overview Thomas Pouchot General Engineer National...
Fire Fighter Fatality/Injury SCBA Evaluation Overview
Thomas Pouchot General Engineer
National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthNational Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
Technical Evaluation Branch
Post Certification OverviewKim C. Gavel
Lead General Engineer
Post Certification
Steps that continue after respirator is granted NIOSH Approval.
Ensure that respirator continues to be produced according to NIOSH criteria.
Post Certification activities include:
Product Audits
Site Audits
Certified Product Investigation Process (CPIP)
Long Term Field Evaluation (LTFE)
Fire Fighter Fatality/Injury SCPA Evaluation Program (FFFIP)
Product Audits
Purchase units commercially to test and ensure performance to applicable criteria.
Typically filtering facepiece units.
Verify performance of all units through default to test program.
Shelf life testing:
Verify performance up through expiration date.
Product Audit Testing
Tests conducted on filtering facepiece respirators:
Respirator Performance
Filter efficiency and leakage (for valve)
Quality assurance evaluation
Check labeling, user instructions, visual inspection
NIOSH submits report to Approval Holder
Pass or Fail
Product Audit Outcome
If unit passes testing
No action required by Approval Holder.
Approval Holder can continue to manufacture and control quality of product to NIOSH approval criteria.
If unit fails testing
Certified Product Investigation Process (CPIP) is initiated and NIOSH sends letter to open investigation.
Approval Holder must identify cause of failure and provide resolution.
Site Audits
WHERE:
All manufacturing site locations, including approval holder subcontractors.
WHEN:
Typically every 2 years (every year in some cases).
WHO:
NIOSH or Contract representative.
HOW:
Evaluate against Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 84 (42 CFR 84) & NIOSH Approved Quality Control Plan at facility.
Site Audit Report Outcome
Following the Site Audit, NIOSH sends a report documenting to the Approval Holder.
Overall result of Site Audit:
Acceptable – No corrective actions required.
Provisionally Acceptable – Production of respirators may continue while the required corrective actions are implemented.
Not Acceptable – Failure to promptly complete corrective actions may result in Stop Sale and/or Revocation of NIOSH approvals.
Site Audit Process – Follow-up
Approval Holder provides NIOSH with documentation to show corrective actions have been completed.
At next site audit visit, NIOSH will verify that corrective actions were put into place.
Certified Product Investigation Program (CPIP)
PURPOSE:
To ensure the quality of NIOSH approved respiratory
units by promptly investigating and resolving reports of
product nonconformance issues.
Examples of Nonconformance Issues
Performance failure
Failure to maintain quality control requirements
Misleading advertising
Manufacturing under a private label without prior approval from NIOSH
When is a CPIP Needed?
When an approved NIOSH respirator is in nonconformance with the specified requirements in Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 84 (42 CFR 84).
CPIP Goals
Maintain quality of NIOSH approved units.
Investigate Internal, External and Self-Reported issues.
Document findings of the approval holder’s investigation and their corrective actions.
Address inventory units, field units and future production.
Possible Follow-Up Actions
User Notices
Stop Sales
Recalls
NIOSH Applications to make changes to:
QA Manual
Production Process
Engineering Design
Request to voluntarily rescind Approval Numbers
CPIP Closing
Has approval holder properly identified the cause of the nonconformance?
Has approval holder developed effective corrective actions to resolve nonconformance?
Has approval holder successfully addressed inventory units, field units and future production?
When NIOSH determines investigation can be closed, Approval Holder receives closing letter.
Long Term Field Evaluations (LTFE)
Purpose: To evaluate long term field
performance of self-contained self-rescuers (SCSR) units certified by NIOSH.
Method Randomly selected units are
collected from mines and are tested on the Automated Breathing and Metabolic Simulator.
LTFE
Outcomes: Comparisons are made between deployed units
and new units.
If a nonconformance to 42 CFR Part 84 is identified, a CPIP is opened.
Results of the LTFE testing are reported to mine operators, MSHA, and Manufacturers.
Fire Fighter Fatality/Injury SCBA Evaluation Program Overview (FFFIP) Purpose:
To determine the conformance of SCBA involved in fire fighter injuries or fatalities to the NIOSH approval requirements found in Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 84 Inspection
Testing
To provide information resulting in the reduction of firefighter injuries and fatalities
FFFIP
History: Evaluations have been conducted as part of
respirator certification program since 1972
Congress included language in FY1998 budget directing NIOSH to investigate firefighter fatalities
Average of 7 SCBA investigations annually since FY1998
User-Reported Problems
Any Respirator User
Fire Departments
Law Enforcement
Chemical Industry
Mining
Healthcare
Field Problem Investigation
Firefighter SCBA Evaluation
Firefighter injury or fatality
with SCBA involved
Malfunction reported with any
respirator
Fire fighter Project Initiation
Fire Department
State/Local Fire Marshal’s Office
Law Enforcement Agency
Other
SCBA Performance Evaluation
NIOSH NPPTL
Technology Evaluation Branch
Pittsburgh
Cardiovascular Event
NIOSH Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field
Studies
Cincinnati
Traumatic Injuries
NIOSH Division of Safety Research
Morgantown
FFFIP: Inspection
Condition of major components
Approved configuration
Identifying information
Suitability for testing
FFFIP: Air Sampling and Testing Air Sampling
Sample taken if air remaining in cylinder
Tested against CGA G-7.1
Dewpoint: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134(i)(4)(iii) requires ≤ -50°F,NFPA 1500 standard requires ≤ -65°F
Testing
7 tests are performed if SCBA unit is suitable.
6 NIOSH, 1 NFPA
May replace cylinder and/or facepiece for testing depending on damage.
NIOSH Tests Performed Rated Service Time Test/ Positive Pressure Test
How long can SCBA provide air?
Does SCBA maintain positive pressure in facepiece?
Gas Flow Test
Continuous airflow provided by SCBA while still keeping positive facepiece pressure.
Requirement is 200 lpm at full rated pressure and at 500 psig.
NIOSH Tests Performed
Remaining Service Life Indicator Test(Low-Air Alarm)
RSLI provides user with warning of air exhaustion
Must alarm at 20-25% or 23-27% of service life (pressure)
Six runs performed, average determines pass or fail
NIOSH Test Performed
Static Pressure Test / Exhalation Resistance Test
Static pressure is facepiece pressure at zero flow condition (≤ 1.5”H2O)
Exhalation resistance is facepiece pressure at 85 lpm continuous flow (≤ 2”H2O above static)
NFPA Air Flow Performance Test
NFPA 1981 breathing machine
Test parameters 103 lpm, 30 breaths/minute
Facepiece Pressure must remain between 0 and 3.5”H2O
FFFIP: Outputs
Report of inspection and testing results
Report provided to entitythat submitted unit andSCBA manufacturer
Results provided to NIOSH -DSR or DSHEFS (if involved)
Field problem investigationinitiated if warranted
FFFIP: Key Findings
Few evaluations result in a Field Problem Investigation
< 5%, based on sample from last five years
Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance
Most common test failure is remaining service life indicator (usually set high)
Visit Us at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/ppt/
Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this presentation have not been formally disseminated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and should not be construed to represent any
agency determination or policy.