Firefighter Mask

Details

• Personal Author:
  Copeland RJ ; Dubovik R ; Elliot J ; Galloway D ; Gebhard S ; Srinivas G
• Description:
  TDA Research Inc. has developed a device that can be used to cool superheated air to temperatures that are safe to breathe when fighting wildland fires. The device also destroys carbon monoxide. We have called our device the "Wild Fire Rescue Respirator" (WFRR). Wildland firefighters normally wear a heavy jacket, durable trousers, heavy duty boots, gloves, a hardhat, eye protection, and frequently, a bandana type of particulate filter for smoke. A burnover, is the situation where a wildland firefighter is trapped and cannot escape the advancing fire. To survive a burnover, wildland firefighters carry an aluminized "fire shelter." The fire shelter is basically a one-person tent that is designed to reflect radiative heat from the fire as it passes close to (or over) the firefighter. It affords much less protection against direct flames; therefore, the firefighter tries to deploy the shelter in an area relatively devoid of fuel (such as a dirt road). While the fire shelter protects against radiative heat, if any of the air outside the shelter during a burnover gets inside, there is a serious risk of death because the lungs are far more susceptible to injury by even brief exposures to superheated air compared to exposed skin. Since one can survive brief exposures to air as hot as 300 degrees F as long as the lungs are protected, TDA Research Inc. in collaboration with a major personal protective equipment manufacturer, has developed the wildfire rescue respirator, which allows the firefighter inside the shelter to breathe normally while the lungs are protected against superheated air. As an added benefit, our device also destroys carbon monoxide, the partial oxidation product of any carbon containing fuel. The WRFF is small and lightweight enough to be carried easily with the wildland firefighter's normal equipment and is designed to be used when deploying a fire shelter in the event of the firefighter being trapped in a burnover. The device can be donned while setting up the fire shelter, and then used inside the shelter until it is safe to exit. The firefighter breathes normally through the device and any superheated air that enters the shelter (due to, for example, strong winds blowing up the edges of the shelter) is cooled to approx. 98 degrees F before entering the lungs. In Phase I, TDA demonstrated that the device would cool air from 300 degrees F to 98 degrees F continuously for more than 30 min. In theory, the unit can be cycled indefinitely. We also demonstrated that we could destroy >2000 ppm of CO entering the device. In Phase II, TDA is working with our industrial partner to optimize the design of the WFRR and determine the best way to package the device. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Carbon Monoxide Firefighters Fires Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety Wildfires
• Keywords:
  Carbon Monoxide Equipment Design Fire Fighters Fire Fighting Equipment Personal Protective Equipment PPE Respirators
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-25
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056376
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-101218
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R43-OH-009027, 2009 Nov; :1-25
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Girish Srinivas, TDA Research, Inc., 12345 W. 52nd Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO, 80033
• Email:
  gsrinivas@tda.com
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2010
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing ; Services
• Performing Organization:
  TDA Research, Inc., Wheat Ridge, Colorado
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20070101
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20130831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:fc25955bfebafdde57d5b79dba38fa826519ecb6152e0eacd7e8cc23c8776481fc08696aba6fe988752befd7dd0ff902003183d27d4966ca6980dd22568d97ad
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218891/cdc_218891_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 964.62 KB ]