PPE CASE – Evaluation of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Involved in a Near Miss While Operating at a Structure Fire
Bedford County, VA, Fire and Rescue Requested the Evaluation of a Scott® Safety Air-Pak 4.5
(Revised October 2022)
NPPTL Report Number TN-25514
NIOSH received an SCBA used by a fire fighter involved in a near miss. The SCBA was not found to contribute to the incident; however, the SCBA was not in a NIOSH approved configuration.
A qualified service technician must inspect, repair, test, clean, and replace damaged components of any SCBA involved in an incident before it may be returned to service. Only SCBAs within their maximum life should be used.
This report provides a summary of NPPTL’s inspection and evaluation methods, as well as findings, for an SCBA that was being used by a fire fighter (Bedford County, VA, Fire and Rescue) that had an out-of-air emergency. The SCBA used was a Scott® Safety Air-Pak Model 4.5, 30-minute, 4500-psi unit that was not in an approved configuration.
REVISION TO REPORT (October 27, 2022): During the initial inspection, the modal acoustic emission label was mistaken to be a requalification label for cylinder hydrostatic testing. Modal acoustic emission is not an authorized requalification method according to the use conditions set forth by the NIOSH approval holder, 3M Scott Fire & Safety. Therefore, this SCBA was not used in accordance with the approval holder’s use conditions and the cylinder is past its 15-year maximum life. The SEI label on the backframe assembly indicates the unit conforms to NFPA 1981:2002 edition while the NIOSH approval label corresponds to the unit conforming to NFPA 1981:2007 edition. This along with other assessments of the labeling, the part numbers, and approval information indicate that this SCBA may have been refurbished. These findings indicate that the SCBA unit received was not in the NIOSH approved configuration. This report was corrected accordingly, and information was added to “Actions to be Taken by Fire Departments with SCBAs Involved in an Incident.”
Bedford County, VA, Fire and Rescue Requested the Evaluation of a Scott® Safety Air-Pak 4.5 [PDF – 2 MB]
Suggested Citation
NIOSH [2022]. PPE CASE: Evaluation of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Involved in a Near Miss While Operating at a Structure Fire. By Jay Tarley and Angie Andrews. Morgantown, WV U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NPPTL TN-25514.
List of Revisions
| Revision Date | Revisions | Citation of Revision |
|---|---|---|
| January, 2022 (Original) | NIOSH [2022]. PPE CASE: Evaluation of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Involved in a Near Miss While Operating at a Structure Fire. By Jay Tarley and Angie Andrews. Morgantown, WV U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NPPTL TN-25514. | |
| October 2022 | This report has been updated after determining the SCBA unit received was not in the NIOSH approved configuration. | NIOSH [2022]. PPE CASE: Evaluation of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Involved in a Near Miss While Operating at a Structure Fire. By Jay Tarley and Angie Andrews. Morgantown, WV U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NPPTL TN-25514. |
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