In late December, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) sent a letter to all respirator manufacturers concerning the acceptance of applications for the voluntary testing of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for use against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents.
Beginning January 22, 2002, NIOSH will begin accepting applications to test and evaluate SCBAs for use against CBRN agents. The letter to the respirator manufacturers informs them of the additional requirements an SCBA must meet for NIOSH approval for this use and how to apply to participate in this voluntary program. In developing the procedures and standards, NIOSH obtained input from potential users and potential program applicants and chemical and biological warfare experts in the field.
SCBAs that meet the new standard will be listed as “CBRN Agent Approved.” NIOSH will maintain and disseminate a list of approved SCBAs under this program in hard copy and on its Web site, www.cdc.gov/niosh. The list will be maintained as a separate category within the NIOSH Certified Equipment List. NIOSH will authorize the use of an additional approval label on apparatus that demonstrate compliance with the CBRN criteria.
Testing of the first approved SCBAs for CBRN use should be completed in about three months.
