Respirator Care = Safe to Wear!

Posted connected February 14, 2014 by Courtney Neiderhiser, MS and Jaclyn Krah, MA

Photo courtesy of Draeger

Happy Valentine’s Day! And connected this astir romanticist time of nan year, what other could you perchance do than show immoderate emotion … to your respirator. Last twelvemonth connected this day, we blogged astir maintaining your narration pinch your Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). To proceed to dispersed nan love, this twelvemonth we want to attraction connected those mining professionals who activity up adjacent and personally pinch Self-Contained Self-Rescuers (SCSRs). An SCSR is simply a lifesaving instrumentality that miners dangle upon successful times of emergency to flight from a hazardous situation wrong nan mine. To support this important instrumentality functioning reliably, regular inspections and upkeep go a ‘life aliases death’ matter. Though you whitethorn see this to beryllium a high-maintenance relationship, it is worthy nan basal attention. In nan arena of an emergency, you request to successfully don and activate your respirator arsenic quickly arsenic imaginable to flight from danger.

Manufacturer-recommended cleaning, handling, and ocular inspection must beryllium decently performed successful bid to guarantee that your SCSR is functioning reliably. For example, a loose chemic furniture aliases deficiency of starter oxygen tin beryllium nan merchandise of unsmooth handling aliases a manufacturing defect, and these types of issues could spell unnoticed without regular inspections. But you tin easy get to cognize your respirator connected a much friendly level and go alert of these issues. A bully cleaning pinch a brushwood followed by ocular inspection of nan respirator lawsuit and indicators tin place failing respirators that request to beryllium removed from service.

Respirator Care = Safe to Wear!

1. Follow nan manufacturer’s instructions. How often is it that you get an instruction guideline connected really to support a relationship? Always transportation and cleanable your SCSR arsenic recommended by nan shaper successful bid to debar harm to your SCSR, specified arsenic excessive dents to nan case. Store and usage your SCSR wrong nan manufacturer-specified somesthesia limits. Both excessive denting and vulnerability to somesthesia extremes tin origin your SCSR to malfunction.

Photo courtesy of MSA

1. Keep your SCSR free of dirt. Brushing ungraded from your SCSR lawsuit regular will let for due day-to-day inspection. NIOSH investigation has recovered that ungraded tin hide problems aliases moreover origin harm to nan device. During a caller NIOSH study, an in-service SCSR respirator was brushed to cleanable nan soiled device. In nan process, nan researchers discovered a cracked moisture indicator. Had this SCSR been cared for connected a regular basis, nan parameter harm would person been discovered and nan respirator would person been removed from service. This hidden flaw was a threat to nan miner depending connected nan instrumentality successful lawsuit of an emergency. When an parameter is damaged, an SCSR should ever beryllium removed from service.
2. Check nan sealing features of your SCSR case. A damaged seal tin let ungraded aliases moisture into nan case, which whitethorn origin your respirator to malfunction successful an emergency situation.

If immoderate portion of your respirator is defective, get a replacement.

You only person 1 chance to flight from astir excavation emergencies. Clean and thoroughly inspect your SCSR each day. Your life whitethorn dangle connected it; truthful springiness your respirator this attraction truthful that you tin bask galore Valentine’s Days pinch those that attraction for you!

Courtney Neiderhiser, MS and Jaclyn Krah, MA

Ms. Neiderhiser is simply a beingness intelligence successful nan NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory.

Ms. Krah is simply a Health Communication Specialist successful nan NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory.