During a recent audit of a facility’s emergency response programs, we came across an interesting “manufacturer requirement” regarding the use of their Emergency Escape Breathing apparatus/device (EEBA or EEBD). This client is one who wants every single layer of mitigation efforts reviewed and validated, so we reviewed their efforts surrounding these EEBA’s, especially since the brand/model in use was different from our previous audit some five years earlier. A few weeks ago I wrote about the “strapless N95’s” and their manufacturer’s S – SPECIAL OR CRITICAL USER’S INSTRUCTIONS. But all NIOSH-approved respirators are required to clearly state these limitations (my word – NOT NIOSHs’) about the respirator. This EEBA’s “special instruction” was one that this facility was not executing on and to be fair, I had never heard of as well. Of course, doing audits in the dead of winter puts a spotlight on these limitations:
(emphasis by me)