Source
Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 99-127, 1999 Mar; :CD-ROM
Abstract
The NIOSH Certified Equipment List Database contains comprehensive certification information on self-contained breathing apparatus, gas masks, supplied air respirators, particulate respirators, chemical cartridges, and powered purifiers. The Guide to Industrial Respiratory Protection is part of this database intended to provide respirator users with a single source of respirator information, covering selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective devices available in 1987. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, under the authorization of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, provides a testing approval and certification program assuring commercial availability of safe personal protective devices and reliable industrial hazard measuring instruments. NIOSH develops improved performance regulations, tests and certifies (or approves) devices, and purchases approved and certified products on the open market to verify quality of manufacture. This easy -to-use database contains tables of useful information concerning certified coal mine dust personal sampler units and certified respirators, updates the list of approved applicants, and provides all Notices to Users issued about certified devices. When a search on a particular respirator model is made, the equipment model information returns as the Product Trade Name so that users can readily identify certified products from packaging and advertising brochures. An address, contact person, and phone number are provided for each approval-holding manufacturer. Hose length and pressure range information for supplied air respirators is still eliminated out of concern that the user may rely solely upon the Certified Equipment List instead of the users instruction manual for this critical information. Because of modifications made from time to time by the respirator manufacturer, all respirators with the same certification number may not have the same pressure requirements and hose length options. Currently, the only accurate source for this information is the NIOSH approval label on older models and users instruction manuals. The Certified Equipment List contains over 5,700 approved devices.
