If you are a First Responder who is trying to understand the latest NIOSH information about respiratory protection from CBRN, MSA’s new CBRN Primer can help you. The CBRN standards establish performance criteria for respiratory protective devices for people who respond to potential Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear incidents.
Many First Responders, particularly law enforcement personnel, are asking how this new CBRN Air-Purifying Respirator (a k a Gas Mask) Standard will affect them.
Q: Why do we have to buy NIOSH-approved CBRN gas masks?
A: The OSHA standards
state that NIOSH-certified devices must be used when specified and
where available.Until now, there has been no specific approval fordevices
to be used in this sort of environment. Some government agencies
are
not required to comply with OSHA.Some states have local OSHA
plans which supersede the Federal requirements. It is important to
read and understand the
local requirements as well as to assess the
potential hazards. A CBRN-certified device will provide a broader
range of chemical protection than even the standard military canister
and the reassurance of third-party certification. Even if you do
not require CBRN compliance, you must still use a NIOSH-approved
device where one exists.
Q: What’s wrong with the masks we are wearing now?
A: Prior to March 7, 2003, there was no standard against which manufacturers could submit their respiratory devices and obtain a NIOSH certification for chemical or biological agent protection. Because of that, MSA did independent testing against the CASHPAC protocol and NIOSH testing against riot-control agents. Those masks are still NIOSH-certified and will provide the protection for which they were purchased.
Q: Where can we buy NIOSH approved CBRN masks?
A: Because the standard was just issued on March 7, 2003, NO manufacturer currently has NIOSH-certified CBRN air-purifying devices. NIOSH began accepting applications for CBRN certification on March 24, 2003. They expect the first CBRN approvals for gas masks to be issued during the third quarter of 2003.
Q: Can we upgrade our current gas masks so that they meet the new CBRN standard?
A: The recent SCBA standard for CBRN devices provides for retrofit kits to make certain existing SCBA devices CBRN-compliant.We expect that the new Air- Purifying Respirator Standard will also provide for retrofitting.MSA has done preliminary testing of our Millennium® Facepiece in accordance with the requirements of the standard, and we feel confident that it will meet the performance requirements of the standard. There will probably be a requirement for marking the facepieces, which is not yet known.
Q: Can we use our current masks for some other use?
A: Recent terrorist events have called attention to the need for all aspects of “Readiness” in order to facilitate the best actions of “Response, Rescue, and Recovery.” General respiratory protection is an important part of “Being Ready.” Most masks are approved with a variety of filters and cartridges which would be appropriate for toxic materials other than chemical warfare agents. Most government agencies are incorporating existing devices into their overall Readiness plan.
Q: What’s the difference between MSA’s current mask and the new one?
A: The Millennium® Gas Mask is a commercial version of the military mask that MSA sells to the US Air Force and Navy. We have done extensive preliminary testing and believe that the mask will exceed the performance requirements of the CBRN Standard. There may be a marking requirement that is not on the current mask.We expect that to be addressed with upgrade kits. The facepiece part of the mask should remain the same, but it would require a new, larger canister.
Q: How long will it take for MSA to have a NIOSH-approved CBRN gas mask?
A: MSA’s extensive experience in the manufacture of gas masks and canisters for the military is a notable advantage. We have applied to submit a product to NIOSH so that we can achieve certification as quickly as possible. The NIOSH certification process traditionally takes 90 to 120 days. Because of NIOSH’s extensive testing requirements for these devices,we expect that you will see approved MSA products available during the third quarter of 2003. For more information about products and literature, contact your MSA-authorized distributor or MSA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-MSA-2222.
Click here for a pdf of MSA's complete "CBRN Primer."