One of the most common questions I used to get on emergency response scenes is:
“How do you determine when we can stop wearing SCBAs and begin wearing Air Purifying Respirators”?
The decision is often a heated debate due to the user’s lack of knowledge. The scary part is that these are trained HAZMAT Technicians who should know better. But, after a quick survey of some clients and SAFTENG members, I found there are a lot of folks out there who may not fully understand the decision logic behind the type of respiratory protection that is needed. So here we go…