Firefighter Mask

Details

• Personal Author:
  Copeland RJ ; Elliot J ; Galloway A ; Gebhard S ; Mason G ; Srinivas G
• Description:
  TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) collaborated with Avon Protection Systems (Avon) to develop a small, cartridge-type respirator mask filter that can be easily worn by firefighters to cool superheated air to levels that are safe to breathe, with simultaneous removal of CO, in the event that the firefighter should encounter extreme conditions when entrapped by a wildfire. We refer to this device as a Wild Fire Rescue Respirator, or WFRR. The WFRR would be used while in an emergency fire shelter to provide the user with a source of safe air in the event of a burnover. In addition, if donned while setting up the shelter, it could protect against superheated air and toxic gases and increase the time available to set up the shelter. Likewise, it could protect against premature exit of the shelter, because late entrance and early exit are common problems encountered in the use of fire shelters (Andersson, 1997). In addition to protection against superheated air, TDA's device can incorporate a CO oxidation catalyst that converts CO into non-toxic carbon dioxide (CO2) at temperatures between ambient and 350 degrees F to protect the firefighter against CO poisoning in these life-threatening situations. Heat exchanging firefighter cartridges were produced and tested with a variety of shapes inside the heat exchanger module including cylinders, disks, boxes, spheres, and two different mesh configurations. The heat exchanger materials that were tested included high temperature plastics, ceramic monoliths, glass beads, and metal. Three factors were critical to successful heat exchanger configurations: minimal conduction of heat down the length of the device, pressure drop less than or equal to the NFPA 1984 standard, and the materials of construction needed to withstand use temperatures without dimensional changes or offgassing. Preferred heat exchanger materials exhibited a combination of very low weight and high thermal capacity. Preferred materials such as cordierite monolith and polypropylene mesh produced the smallest, lightest weight heat exchanger cartridges. Over the course of the Phase II research project we encountered varying opinions (from the Forest Service, Fire Chiefs Association, and local fire departments) on what constituted a "survivable" average burnover temperature. We produced radial plastic heat exchangers that would function well up to 370 degrees F for the groups that considered 350 degrees F to be the survivability limit (shown in Figure 1). For groups that wanted to outfit their firefighters with heat exchangers that would provide breathable air in environments above 350 degrees F, we produced ceramic monolith heat exchangers that had rock wool insulation and sheet metal housings (shown in Figure 4). Our prototype cartridges were tested at temperatures from 250 degrees F up to 600 degrees F. Figure 36 shows a range breathing temperatures at the ten minute mark from 102 degrees F up to 140 degrees F for the worst case scenario of a 600 degrees F environmental temperature. All of the breathing temperatures from the prototype testing shown in Figure 36 are survivable. Testing showed that the WFRRs would provide breathable air as long as the firefighters could survive the other hazards encountered during a burnover situation. [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:
  1-47
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056377
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-101219
• 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, R44-OH-009027, 2013 Nov; :1-47
• Contact Point Address:
  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:
  2014
• 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-512:0e8d693940232b1e0d844a74d7ac76886fc01d2f60837059548b843e971696cfea3b70b6beee1703a06cb199342e2e75e613ea9ef5b9f6e6a66a5dbad47d3182
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218892/cdc_218892_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.33 MB ]