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42 CFR 84.207
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Title

"Approval of Respiratory Protective Devices: Subpart L: Bench tests; gas and vapor tests; minimum requirements; general."

Description

This standard describes the minimum basic requirements for the bench test and gas and vapor test for chemical cartridge respirators. This includes basic values and information on test atmosphere, concentration, flow rates and parameters. See detailed view for additional notes.

Standard Type(s)
Standard

Document, established by consensus that provides rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results.

Personal Protective Equipment
Respiratory Protection

A breathing device worn to prevent inhalation of hazardous substances. Respirators protect the user in two basic ways. The first is by the removal of contaminants from the air. Respirators of this type include particulate respirators, which filter out airborne particles; and "gas masks” which filter out chemicals and gases. Other respirators protect by supplying clean respirable air from another source. Respirators that fall into this category include airline respirators, which use compressed air from a remote source; and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which include their own air supply.

  • Respirators, General
  • Chemical Cartridge Respirators
Hazards
Gas and Vapor
  • Inhalation
Conformity Assessment Notes

(a) Bench tests will be made on an apparatus that allows the test atmosphere at 50 ±5 percent relative humidity and room temperature, approximately 25 °C, to enter the cartridges continuously at predetermined concentrations and rates of flow, and that has means for determining the test life of the cartridges.

(b) Where two cartridges are used in parallel on a chemical cartridge respirator, the bench test will be performed with the cartridges arranged in parallel, and the test requirements will apply to the combination rather than to the individual cartridges.

(c) Three cartridges or pairs of cartridges will be removed from containers and tested as received from the applicant.

(d) Two air purifying cartridges or pairs of cartridges will be equilibrated at room temperature by passing 25 percent relative humidity air through them at the flow rate of 25 liters per minute (l.p.m.) for 6 hours.

(e) Two air purifying cartridges or pairs of cartridges will be equilibrated by passing 85 percent relative humidity air through them at the flow rate of 25 l.p.m.

(f) All cartridges will be resealed, kept in an upright position, at room temperatures, and tested within 18 hours.

(g) Cartridges will be tested and shall meet the minimum requirements set forth in Table 11 of this subpart.

(h) Powered air-purifying respirators with a cartridge(s) and particulate filter(s) must meet the as-received minimum service-life requirements and half of the equilibrated minimum service-life requirements set forth in table 11 of subpart L using the flows specified in subpart K, §84.175(b) and equilibrated in accordance with paragraphs (a) through (g) of this section using the flows specified in subpart K, §84.175(b).


Comments
Any references to STPs do not indicate a requirement or a specific standard to which all respirators must comply. They denote a test procedure that NIOSH uses in their own testing and certification of RPD. There may exist other test procedures that manufacturers use prior to submitting respirators for NIOSH approval.
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