Emergency Escape Breathing Apparatus (EEBA) have been around my entire career and I have used the mouth-bit style and the supplied air bag-over-the-head style. Actually, I have never had to use one, but I had them at my facilities when I was a Safety Manager in the chemical and semiconductor industries. So I have learned to hate these devices! One day I suggested we remove them from service and never have I seen a group of managers come together to adamantly state NOOOOO! But they had no skin in the game as the Safety Team managed all of the requirements for these devices, and for years I was doing it WRONG. As soon as I learned what was needed and laid out all we had to do to merely comply with OSHA minimums and Manufacturer’s requirements, their view of these devices changed quickly.
I am going to bet that some of you that read this article, will also be looking for a way to “recycle these devices”. From their application to their storage, to actual use, training, and inspection/testing most see little value in these devices. Unfortunately, these devices are nothing more than a “makes me feel good” paperweight at most facilities. So let’s see all that has to be done to have this type of respirator and the frequencies we have to perform these tasks to just comply with OSHA minimums and the manufacturer(s)…
First and foremost, OSHA does NOT require anyone to have this style/type of respirators. Like all respiratory protection, the need necessitates the style/type respirators we provide. OSHA merely states in 1910.134 that if we decide to have EEBA, we must meet the following: