Those of you that have been reading my materials for the past 20+ years know that I can be rather extreme when it comes to critical safety items such as SCBA’s used in IDLH atmospheres. I make no apologies for my positions and my directness – heck I think more of you need to be like me rather than I need to “take a chill pill and join the team” (advice I get often). But my “extreme positions” have caused issues in the past when clients desire to meet the OSHA minimums on their High-Risk work, such as wearing an SCBA in an IDLH atmosphere (or even a potential IDLH atm). I began my journey in this profession as a firefighter and in our FD we had a state of the art (at the time) breathing air system since we were home to the region’s HAZMAT team as well. With this system came procedures, quality inspections, maintenance, siting of the compressor, etc. – heck PSM was not even being discussed at this point in time, but who knew that NFPA was ahead of the game in using the same practices for their breathing air compressor requirements! And here is where I pass over into another universe for safety… from OSHA minimums to NFPA best practices
SAFETNG Note: In my advanced PSM/RMP audits (and ERT reviews) I hold the facility responsible for adopting NFPA 1989: Standard on Breathing Air Quality for Emergency Services Respiratory Protection as I believe it is appropriate to use a RAGAGEP to fill in the gaps that OSHA standards do not provide the necessary level of details to ensure the highest level of safety.
But I have, for years, always required that the breathing air quality be sampled and tested quarterly and the results posted at the breathing compressor. I have even gone as far as warning facilities (and written about this) to be very careful as to where and who is filling their bottles as some fire departments in some states do not even fall under OSHA so they may have a compressor but it is not being maintained properly – thus possibly exposing your workers to unsafe breathing air! And to be honest, I could have sworn that the previous 1910.134 version had these NFPA testing and posting requirement(s) in it; although I have not been able to find proof of this yet.
So what does NFPA 1989 require and what should we be doing to ensure our workers are breathing Grade D breathing air while donned in a Supplied Air Respirator?
(emphasis by me)