SCBA/End-of-Service-Time Indicator

Summary: NIOSH received a petition to initiate rulemaking to change the provisions of Paragraph (f) of Section 84.83 in Title 42, Code of Federal Regulations, part 84 (42 CFR 84). This paragraph requires each remaining end-of-service-time indicator (EOSTI) or warning device to give an alarm when the remaining service time of the apparatus is reduced to within a range of 20 to 25 percent of its rated service time. The current requirement does not state that the device must initiate activation in the range; only that it needs to give an alarm in this range. The EOSTI needs to alarm between the two limits. It can remain on as the air pressure drops below those pressures, or stop alarming after a brief time.

The petition requests NIOSH to modify the provision to eliminate the upper limit of this range. The purpose of this change would be to allow each respiratory protection program manager to determine the most appropriate alarm setting, with 20 percent as the retained minimum, to provide SCBA users time to exit a scene.

Pre-meeting Information

Notice of public meeting; 73 FR 65860; dated 11/05/08 [PDF - 1997 KB]

Meeting Information

NIOSH/NPPTL public list of attendees; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; dated 12/02/08 [PDF - 1372 KB]

Presentation by BerryAnn (NIOSH) titled, "Self Contained Breathing Apparatus End of Service Life Indicator"; dated 12/02/08 [PDF - 44 KB]

Transcript; NIOSH/NPPTL Public Meeting; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; dated 12/02/08 [PDF - 67 KB]

Submissions in order of receipt

Submission to NIOSH Docket from private person (1) –11/26/08 [PDF - 264 KB]

Submission to the docket from private person (2) –11/26/08 [PDF - 269 KB]

Submission to the docket from Normandin (Fitchburg Fire Rescue & Massachusetts Firefighting Academy) – 12/03/08 [PDF - 393 KB]

Submission to the docket from Muenchow (InterCanyon Fire & Rescue) – 12/04/08 [PDF - 520 KB]

Submission to the docket from Wells (NOVA Chemicals) – 1/05/09 [PDF - 179 KB]

Submission to the docket from Greer (Arvada Fire Protection District) – 1/08/09 [PDF - 188 KB]

Submission to the docket from Hanning (Portland Fire and Rescue) – 1/08/09 [PDF - 361 KB]

Submission to the docket from Rossos (Portland Fire and Rescue) – 1/12/09 [PDF - 543 KB]

Submission to the docket from Halton (Fire Engineering) – 1/15/09 [PDF - 357 KB]

Submission to the docket from Whiting (Columbus Division of Fire) – 1/16/09 [PDF - 404 KB]

Submission to the docket from Bernzweig (The Columbus Firefighters Union, IAFF #67) – 1/16/09 [PDF - 2867 KB]

Submission to the docket from Duffy (International Association of Fire Fighters) – 1/16/09 [PDF - 634 KB]

Submission to the docket from Baluha (Palm Beach County Fire Rescue) – 1/31/09 [PDF - 283 KB]