Air Fed Ensembles (AFE)

 

2009
NIOSH Docket Number 148-A

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is working to develop appropriate standards and test procedures for respiratory protective devices (RPD) used to protect workers in hazardous environments. NIOSH has initiated a program to update or create portions of Title 42 Code of Federal Regulations Part 84 (42 CFR Part 84) to promote improved performance and reliability of air-fed ensembles (AFE).

The AFE concept paper was presented at the September 17, 2009 public meeting. Comments on this concept paper were accepted through November 19, 2009. Interested persons or organizations were invited to participate in this process by submitting written views, arguments, recommendations, and scientific data on any topic related to this concept paper.

A previous public meeting was held on December 2, 2008, to discuss the development plan for the creation of a subpart to 42 CFR Part 84 to address air-fed ensemble performance requirements. The documents relating to the development plan and the initial public meeting are included in Docket Number 148

NIOSH has strategically determined that adoption of all future respirator standards will be accomplished in a modular fashion using the informal rulemaking process resulting in a revised 42 CFR Part 84; thus, the new AFE performance standard will be adopted using this process.

Official comments provided to Docket Number 148A relating to the proposed Draft Concept for Air-fed Ensembles, August 25, 2009, shall be evaluated and be considered in developing the next draft concept and throughout the informal rulemaking process.

Related Docket

Pre-Meeting Information

Notice; Notice of a Public Meeting to discuss NIOSH’s Respirator Standards Development Efforts; 74 FR 28509; 6/16/09pdf icon [PDF – 1,430 KB]

Draft NIOSH document; “Proposed Concept: Air-fed Ensembles (AFE) Standard”; 8/25/09pdf icon [PDF – 6,937 KB]

Meeting Information

Live Meeting Registration; NIOSH PPT Public Meeting; 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 999 KB]

NIOSH Meeting Registration; Pittsburgh, PA; 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 3,508 KB]

Presentation; Overview; Respirator Standards Development Public Meeting; 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 1,491 KB]

Presentation “Air-Fed Ensembles” by Szalajda (NIOSH); 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 3,760 KB]

Presentation “Concept for NIOSH Certification of Air-Fed Ensembles” by Miller (NIOSH); 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 15,932 KB]

Presentation “New CO2 Dead Space Test System Final Correlation Test Results” by Walbert (NIOSH); 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 8,871 KB]

Presentation “Physiological Response to Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide in the Breathing Environment” by Williams (NIOSH); 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 12,646 KB]

Presentation “Savannah River Site Supplied-air Suits” by Farrer and Kvartek (Savannah River Site); 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 3,388 KB]

Presentation “Air-Fed Ensembles (AFE) Panel Discussion;” 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 5,941 KB]

Presentation; Wrap-Up; “Respirator Standards” by Szalajda (NIOSH); 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 3,780 KB]

Transcript; NIOSH Personal Protective Technology Program Stakeholder Meeting; 9/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 71,165 KB]

Submissions in order of receipt

Submission to the docket from Marsick (U.S. Department of Energy) – 9/29/09pdf icon [PDF – 552 KB]

Submission to the docket from Musgrove (Respirex International Ltd) – 9/30/09pdf icon [PDF – 448 KB]

Submission to the docket from Farrer (Savannah River Site) – 10/15/09pdf icon [PDF – 3,341 KB]

Submission to the docket from Colton (3M Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division) – 10/19/09pdf icon [PDF – 2,832 KB]

Submission to the docket from Zimmermann (Sperian) – 10/19/09pdf icon [PDF – 2,046 KB]

Submission to the docket from Sell (Drager Safety, Inc.) – 11/17/09pdf icon [PDF – 2,523 KB]

Submission to the docket from Shipp (International Safety Equipment Association) – 11/09/09pdf icon [PDF – 818 KB]

Page last reviewed: July 6, 2010