Point-of-Use Assessment for Self-Contained Self-Rescuers Randomly Sampled from Mining Districts: First Phase: Sample Period: May 2009 to July 2010 [PPE CASE P2018-0101]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Coffey, Christopher C. ; Murray D ; Palya F
• Description:
  The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has undertaken a study to evaluate the long-term field performance and reliability of self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs) deployed in U.S. underground coal mines in accordance with the use and location requirements of Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations (30 CFR) Part 75.1714. This ongoing project provides visual inspection data and performance data on field deployed SCSRs. This report presents findings from the first phase of the SCSR Long-Term Field Evaluation Program (LTR1). The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) maintains a list of deployed SCSRs in the United States. From the MSHA list, NIOSH randomly selects 140 units each from four models to attempt a field collection of 100 SCSRs per model for laboratory testing. One hundred and forty units are chosen to allow for issues with obtaining specific units. The SCSRs that pass the manufacturer's recommended visual inspection at the mine are collected and further evaluated by NPPTL including a second visual inspection, leak testing, gas flow testing, and breathing and metabolic simulation (BMS) testing. The tests performed in this study are not respirator approval tests; however, poor performance during testing led to the opening of a certified product investigation process (CPIP) on one SCSR model. The data obtained for the one model that underwent the CPIP investigation was reported in a Department of Health and Human Services numbered document that is posted on the NIOSH website. Overall, 85% of the SCSRs examined at NIOSH passed the visual inspection. The BMS test results indicate that 99% of SCSRs that pass the manufacturer's recommended visual inspection criteria demonstrated acceptable rated service life. Of the three SCSRs with unacceptable service lives, only one failed the visual inspection. Most of the respirators failing the visible inspection in this phase of the study would have met the BMS testing criteria or been removed from service, if the manufacturer's recommended cleaning, handling, and visual inspection had been performed properly. There were no discernible trends from BMS, leak tests, or flow tests that might indicate or predict an end-of-service-life for any SCSR model. The most frequent limitations in the collection of SCSRs from the mines could be partially overcome through better communication with the mines and district offices, and by obtaining a more recent and expanded inventory list from the MSHA electronic SCSR inventory. This phase of the LTR1 study demonstrates the need to expand collection options to meet the quota of 100 SCSRs from each manufacturer, and ultimately retain the desired statistical validity of the study. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Mining Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety
• Keywords:
  Coal Mining Equipment Testing Mine Workers Personal Protective Equipment PPE Protective Equipment SCSR Self Contained Self Rescuers Underground Miners Underground Mining
• Series:
  PPE CASE
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NPPTLRepP20180101
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-27
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058059
• Citation:
  Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NPPTL Report No. P2018-0101, 2018 Feb; :1-27
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:78bf8abb39bad123af56b8a6cdb7fbf41ce842b2b65e90865c5322cc0aac512cea4ada572c7598af7ae8e6a7f1660f8c14b6331752ab32ba47bd85517887e757
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/249208/cdc_249208_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.41 MB ]