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PPE CASE – Point-of-Use Assessment for Self-Contained Self-Rescuers Randomly Sampled from Mining Districts: Third Phase
March 2019
NPPTL Report Number P2019-0101
NIOSH’s point-of-use assessments for self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs) found that mine operators are largely compliant with SCSR manufacturer-specified requirements and the devices tested appear to be sufficiently designed for mining use conditions.
This report presents findings from the third phase long-term random (LTR3) testing of SCSR units that was conducted between February 2013 and December 2014. Prior to collection, MSHA provided a copy of the SCSR inventory from which NIOSH compiled a statistically-significant random list of 620 SCSR units to target for collection. NIOSH returned 319 SCSR units to the laboratory when the collection effort ended. Three hundred ten (310) SCSR units that passed the manufacturers’ recommended visual inspections were subsequently tested using an automated breathing and metabolic simulator (ABMS). The tests performed in this study are not approval tests; however, products that exhibit any suspected nonconforming characteristics during their inspection and testing at NPPTL are identified. A certified product investigation process (CPIP) may subsequently be opened to determine the impact of observed performance degradation or potential nonconformance of deployed SCSR units. It was not necessary to open a CPIP audit for SCSR nonconformance issues in this phase of the LTFE study.
Suggested Citation
NIOSH [2019] PPE CASE: self-contained self-rescuer long-term field evaluation: third phase random sampling results. By Walbert G, Monaghan W, and Coyne J. Pittsburgh, PA U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NPPTL Report Number P2019-0101.