"Standard on Breathing Air Quality for Emergency Services Respiratory Protection"

This standard sets criteria for breathing air quality for emergency services personnel who use atmospheric-supplying respirators and who perform their functions at high work levels during operations in hazardous and hostile environments. Other breathing air quality standards are focused on general industry and do not address emergency services needs.

An explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, system, or service: Examples of specifications include, but are not limited to, requirements for; physical, mechanical, or chemical properties, and safety, quality, or performance criteria. A specification identifies the test methods for determining whether each of the requirements is satisfied.

A definitive procedure that produces a test result: Examples of test methods include, but are not limited to: identification, measurement, and evaluation of one or more qualities, characteristics, or properties. A precision and bias statement shall be reported at the end of a test method.

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

• Inhalation

• 29-2000 Health Technologists and Technicians
  • 29-2040 Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics

• 33-2000 Fire Fighting and Prevention Workers
  • 33-2010 Firefighters