8/11/2019 Scba Alert 070212

1/2

For further information, visit www.nfpa.org /scba and www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire

NFPA ALERT NOTICE July 2, 2012

SCBA facepiece lenses may undergo thermal degradation when exposed to intense heat

Safety AlertExposure to high temperature environments, whichfirefighters can encounter during fires they areattempting to extinguish, can result in the thermaldegradation or melting of a Self- Contained BreathingApparatus (SCBA) facepiece lens, resulting inelimination of the protection meant for the usersrespiratory system and exposing the user to productsof combustion and super heated air.

Background

SCBA is a critical component in the personal protectiveequipment (PPE) used by todays fire service. Thisequipment is essential for allowing firefighters tooperate in hostile fire ground environments. However,in recent decades there have been significant changes inthe environments encountered by structural firefightersand in how they operate in those environments.

Structure fires involving modern buildingconstruction and furnishings produce significantlyhigher heat release rates than legacy buildings andtheir furnishings of earlier years, exposingfirefighters to more rapid heat development andintense thermal conditions.

PPE used by firefighters has evolved to provideenhanced overall thermal protection, allowingfirefighters to remain in adverse conditions forlonger time periods.

Enhanced PPE for todays firefighters has madethem less able to detect changing thermalconditions.

The SCBA facepiece lens is an integral part of SCBA andtoday the lens material is generally based onpolycarbonate. The SCBA facepiece lens is often

considered the weakest component of a firefightersensemble in high heat conditions, but the level ofthermal performance of the facepiece lens has not beenwell understood.

During the investigation of firefighter fatalities thatoccurred from 2002 to 2011, the National Institute forOccupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found evidenceof thermal degradation of facepiece lenses that mayhave been a contributing factor in three fatalities. 1 Inthe fatality cases, the firefighters were likely still on air

at the time they were overrun by extreme thermalconditions; all had their SCBA facepiece still in place; allhad SCBA facepieces that displayed extensive damageconsistent with thermal conditions that likely exceededthe capabilities of the SCBA facepiece lens, resulting inthe loss of respiratory protection from an ImmediatelyDangerous to Life and Health (IDLH ) environment. Thefirefighters in these incidents suffered thermal injuriesto their respiratory system and sustained inhalationinjuries from products of combustion.

NIOSH also reported

on the investigation of three SCBAfrom a state training academy 2 where the SCBAfacepiece lens showed evidence of thermal degradationafter being used in live fire training. Additionally, in fourother NIOSH Line of Duty Death Investigations 3, theevidence, while not conclusive was suggestive ofpossible SCBA degradation or failure.

Among the voluntary consensus standards developed bythe National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) arestandards for firefighter personal protective clothingand equipment. These include NFPA 1981, Standard onOpen-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

for Emergency Services, which is principally developedby NFPAs Technical Committee on RespiratoryProtection Equipment (the Technical Committee). Theconcerns with facepiece lenses identified in the NIOSHinvestigations were brought to the attention of theNFPA Technical Committee by the National Institute ofStandards and Technology (NIST) and the NIOSH Divisionof Safety Research, Fire Fighter Fatality Investigationand Prevention Program.

In addition, in 2010 NIST, NIOSH, the Fire ProtectionResearch Foundation (FPRF) and the NFPA jointly hosted

a research planning workshop on evaluating andaddressing the concerns regarding the thermal impactof SCBA facepiece lenses. 4 Subsequently, theDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) and the UnitedStates Fire Administration (USFA) funded andparticipated with NIST in research 5 that validated theadverse consequences to firefighters when lensdegradation occurs in extreme thermal conditions anddeveloped and provided new testing and performancemethodologies to the NFPA Technical Committee onRespiratory Protection Equipment. 6 Based on theinformation learned from the NIOSH investigations and

8/11/2019 Scba Alert 070212

2/2

For further information, visit www.nfpa.org /scba and www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire

NIST research, this Technical Committee is in theprocess of incorporating new test methods andperformance and criteria for facepiece lenses into theproposed 2013 edition of NFPA 1981, which is slatedfor completion and issuance as early as the Fall of2012. Information on the continuing development ofthis new edition is available athttp://www.nfpa.org/1981next .

NFPA Recommends

SCBA facepiece lenses showing evidence ofexposure to intense heat is an indication of thermaldegradation and potential failure. In addition tocomplying with the Inspection, Repair and Removalfrom Service provisions of NFPA 1852, SelectionCare and Maintenance of Open- Circuit Self -Contained Breathing Apparatus , fire departments,fire academies, and emergency serviceorganizations should ensure that all SCBA facepiecelenses are inspected before and after each use. Any

SCBA facepiece lens found to have cracks, crazing,bubbling, deformation, discoloring, gaps or holesshould be immediately removed from service anda replacement issued.

In addition to complying with the provisions ofNFPA 1404, Standard for Fire Service RespiratoryProtection Training , fire departments, fire trainingacademies and emergency service organizationsshould review their training programs to ensurethat the following components are addressed intheir curriculum: the limitations of respiratoryprotection devices; awareness that delayedrecognition of intense thermal environments thatcan occur while wearing a firefighter protectiveensemble; and how to respond to problemsencountered when using SCBA in high temperatureenvironments.

When evaluating fire conditions and determiningfire attack tactics and strategies, incidentcommanders, company officers, and firefightersshould take into account the thermal performancelimitations of SCBA facepiece lenses and theproblem of delayed recognition of heat intensity

due to the thermal insulation/protection providedby the PPE ensemble.

In addition to following existing departmentalStandard Operating Procedures and Guidelinesregarding use of PPE, all personnel engaged incommanding, supervising or performing interior fireattack operations can reduce the possibility offacepiece lens deterioration or failure bymaintaining constant situational awareness and bybeing alert for deteriorating conditions indicative

of extreme thermal temperatures/flashoverconditions. When confronted with such conditions,personnel must initiate self-evacuation or bedirected to retreat to a safe area.

Fire departments, fire academies, and emergencyservice organizations that utilize SCBA should beginplanning for the upgrade or replacement of currentSCBA facepiece lenses with products compliant withthe upcoming 2013 edition of NFPA 1981.

Even after the issuance of the new edition of NFPA1981, it is expected that there will be continuedresearch and development activities to betterunderstand the thermal characteristics of SCBAfacepiece lenses, and to better predict the conditionsthat are likely to cause a SCBA facepiece lens failure. Asupdated information becomes available, it will beposted at www.nfpa.org/scba .

* * * * * *

Additional resources on firefighter safety can be found at:

The Fire Ground Survival Program developed by theInternational Association of Firefighters (IAFF),www.iaff.org/HS/FGS/FGSIndex.htm , and

Rules You Can Live By, Rules of Engagement forFirefighter Survival published by the InternationalAssociation of Fire Chiefs, (IAFC),www.iafcsafety.org/downloads/ROE_Poster_FINAL.pdf ,

1Career officer LODD as instructor at training facility, Pennsylvania, 2005

(NIOSH Report F2005-31); Career officer and fire fighter at residential fire,Texas, 2009 (NIOSH Report F2009-11). Volunteer fire fighter killed by rapidfire progression in apartment complex Maryland (NIOSH Report F2011-02).

2 Status Investigation Report of Three Self-Contained Breathing ApparatusSubmitted by the Pennsylvania State Fire Academy, Lewistown,Pennsylvania NIOSH Task No. 14292, May 1, 2007.

3Career officer and fire fighter LODD at acquired structure training, Florida,2002 (NIOSH Report F2002-34); Volunteer officer and fire fighter LODD atresidential fire, Texas, 2007 (NIOSH Report F2007-29);Career fire fighter LODD at residential fire, Virginia, 2008 (NIOSH F2007-12);Volunteer fire fighter LODD at residential fire, Alabama, 2008 (NIOSH ReportF2008-34).

4 Bryner N. and Mensch A., Emergency First Responder Respirator ThermalCharacteristics: Workshop Proceedings, Workshop held in Pittsburgh, PA inJuly 2010, NIST Special Publication 1123, Gaithersburg MD, June 2011.

5 Bryner N., Braga G. and Mensch A., Fire Exposures of Fire Fighter Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Facepiece Lenses, NIST Technical Note1724, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg,MD,November 2011.

6 Report on Proposals, (F12), NFPA 1981 Standard on Open- Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services, Log #CP5,Log #CP6

http://www.nfpa.org/1981nexthttp://www.nfpa.org/1981nexthttp://www.nfpa.org/scbahttp://www.nfpa.org/scbahttp://www.nfpa.org/scbahttp://www.iaff.org/HS/FGS/FGSIndex.htmhttp://www.iaff.org/HS/FGS/FGSIndex.htmhttp://www.iafcsafety.org/downloads/ROE_Poster_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.iafcsafety.org/downloads/ROE_Poster_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.iafcsafety.org/downloads/ROE_Poster_FINAL.pdfhttp://www.iaff.org/HS/FGS/FGSIndex.htmhttp://www.nfpa.org/scbahttp://www.nfpa.org/1981next