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Choosing the Best Escape Respirator for Your Emergency Response Plan

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Choosing the Best Escape Respirator for Your Emergency Response Plan Choosing the Best Escape Respirator for Your Emergency Response Plan Many industrial disasters have resulted from a false sense of security in SOPs and fail-safes. 2 1 0 2 - 6 3 0 7 5 - D THE THREE-LEGGED STOOL OF 3. Emergency response plan: Protect Acquiring the correct type and quantity of HAZARDOUS MATERIAL RISK MANAGEMENT plant and human assets by providing a escape respirators is just as much a part According to OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.110 means of escape/response in the event of risk management as trying to prevent Appendix C (Compliance Guidelines and legs 1 and 2 fail. Depending on the risk the release of the hazard in the first place. Recommendations for Process Safety and hazard, this can range from a Management), personnel working with any simple evacuation plan to a complex PERFORMING A PROCESS HAZARD hazardous process should be protected emergency response scenario including ANALYSIS by at least three lines of defense. These escape respirators, escape refuge If you're interested in strengthening the lines of defense must operate in unison to chambers/ safe zones, hazmat (or fire) third leg of your organizations hazardous provide an effective hazard control plan. control teams, and search and-rescue material risk management plan, the first You can think of this approach as the procedures. step is to perform a process hazard analysis "three-legged stool" of hazardous material (PHA) to make sure you understand the risk management, which includes the If these three elements are not operating risks in the workplace and the conse - following three lines of defense or legs: together, then the likelihood of a disaster quences that will result if your SOPs and or fatality is exponentially higher. Most fail-safes malfunction. 1. Containment: Standard operating often, it is the third leg of this stool that is procedures (SOPs) and engineering neglected. Escape respirators are some - While there are many industrial hazards controls are designed to control all times seen as a necessary evil or redun - and risks, this article focuses on the three hazardous substances. (For example, dant compliance requirement because an common types of industrial hazards that keep it contained by using approved escape respirator will not prevent a disas - present a high risk to the human respiratory devices, piping, values, and process ter from occurring. In other words, an system: design specifications.) organization with good SOPs and fail-safe plans may feel it can prevent an incident - Risk of fire. Fire is a risk in virtually 2. Back-up controls: Control or mitigate from occurring, so it does not need to every industrial setting, but the highest exposure to workers and the environ- invest in good escape respirators. risk occurs when personnel are ment in the event the first line of However, many industrial disasters of the exposed to accumulating smoke. Most defense is compromised or fails. (For past have resulted from a false sense of fire-related deaths are due to carbon example, control the substance with security in SOPs and fail-safes. In many of monoxide poisoning, not burns. Any relief valves, scrubbers, flares, those cases, loss of life could have been industry using high heat processes or surge/overflow tanks, fire prevented by a strong emergency flammable materials should be well suppression systems, etc.) response program. prepared for fire hazards. 02 | DRÄGER CHOOSING THE BEST ESCAPE RESPIRATOR FIGURE 1 - Release of toxins. This includes the release of a chemical, vapor, or gas from a process or vessel at high Air Purifying Supplied Air Self Contained concentration. The toxins are typically Respirator Respirator Respirator Escape Full Face Air Escape SAR w/escape CCBA SCBA known because they are identified by Mouth-bit Mask Hood cylinder the PHA. For example, hydrogen sulfide Fire could be released from an oil drilling rig X X AbEsocuatp e Eric Kitain, MD or a toxin such as chlorine, phosgene, Toxin Release “High” Hazard XX X or ammonia can be released from a Toxin Release chemical process. “Specific” Hazard X XXXX Toxin Release/ “Low” Hazard X XX XX X- Environmental volatility. The third most Atmospheric Volatility XX X common risk to the human respiratory O2 deficiency Atmospheric Volatility system is an atmosphere that is likely XX XX X Toxic Accumulation to change or become dangerous, such as confined spaces where conditions can change quickly. Here, toxins can accumulate or an oxygen deficiency SAR WITH ESCAPE CYLINDER can occur, causing asphyxiation. Dräger PAS Colt with escape cylinder Once the type of risk has been identified, Pros: Cons: the next step is to understand the degree - Allows workers to seamlessly switch from - Heavy and difficult to carry (cannot be of severity that would accompany an emer - supplied air to escape mode without belt-worn) exposure to hazard - Designated as an "Escape Only" respirator gency situation in a given environment. - Utilizes positive pressure full-face mask - Requires periodic maintenance This information is important when it to provide maximum protection from IDLH - Higher-priced escape device comes to selecting the appropriate conditions for 5-15 minutes - Hood material is not highly visible or flame escape respirator. For the purpose of this - Can be utilized for more applications than retardant "Escape Only" article, the degree of severity is classified - Acceptable for use in oxygen-deficient according to the definitions of High, atmospheres Specific, and Low established by NIOSH - Reusable in its document "Concept for CBRN Air- Purifying Escape Respirator Standard": High: any scenario involving a release or existence of unknown toxic substances APR CHEMICAL/SMOKE ESCAPE HOOD Dräger Parat C in high or unknown concentrations, as well as oxygen-deficient atmospheres (less than 19.5 percent volume). Pros: Cons: - Provides protection against higher - Cannot be used in oxygen-deficient concentrations of specific hazards atmospheres Specific: any scenario involving the - Can protect against mUltiple hazards - Single use only release or existence of known toxic sub - - Designated as an "Escape Only" respirator simultaneously stances in high concentrations (environ - - Cost-effective alternative to EEBAs in certain applications ments with "Specific" hazards always have - Protects eyes, face, and head sufficient oxygen). -- Is highly visible and flame retardant - Enables verbal communication Low: any scenario involving the release or - Easy to don - Portable (belt-worn), lightweight, low existence of known toxic substances in maintenance, and easy to store low concentrations (environments with - Long shelf life "Low" hazards always have sufficient oxygen). Understanding the type and degree of a risk will serve as a good foundation for selecting the respirators that arc qualified | 03 ESCAPE MOUTH-BIT for your applications. However, just Dräger Parat 3200 because a respirator will work doesn't mean it's the best choice. You also must consider the pros and cons of all qualified Pros: Cons: respirators to ensure you are maximizing - Very small, lightweight, and portable - Does not protect the eyes or head - Inexpensive - Prohibits verbal communication safety and reducing cost of ownership. - Provides effective protection against lower - Cannot be used in O 2 deficient For example, even though a compressed concentrations of specific toxins (such as atmospheres air type of respirator may work for an organic vapors or acid gases) - Does not protect against multiple hazards application, there may be many good - Easy to don simultaneously - Single use only reasons to use a smaller, more portable, - Shorter shelf life and less expensive escape device. - Designated as an ‘Escape Only’ respirator Ultimately, you can save money and make a workplace safer by evaluating all of the available options. FULL FACE GAS MASK Dräger X-plore 5500 with Multigas+ Cartridges IDENTIFYING THE BEST ESCAPE RESPIRATOR FOR THE APPLICATION Pros: Cons: Once you have identified the risk, the - Provides protection against higher - Difficult to carry, store and access in next step is to identify the correct escape concentrations of specific hazards emergency respirator for the application. This is - Provides tight-fitting elastomeric sealing - Difficult to don quickly surface - Cannot be used in O 2 deficient atmospheres essentially a two-step process: First, - Enables verbal communication narrow down the options to the escape - Provides eye protection respirators that will provide effective - Reusable (interchangeable canisters) protection. Second, consider the pros and - Long service life - Can be used for more applications than cons of different respirator types to identify ‘Escape Only’ the best option. There are a number of widely accepted escape respirator technologies on the market, including: ESCAPE MOUTH-BIT EEBA - Air-purifying respirators (APRs), including escape mouth-bits, full-face gas masks, APR escape hoods Pros: Cons: - Self-contained emergency escape - Acceptable for use in O deficient - Heavy and difficult to carry (cannot be 2 breathing apparatus (EEBA) atmospheres belt-worn) - Continuous flow from the air source - Designated as an ‘Escape Only’ respirator - Pressure demand supplied air respira- provides 5-15 minutes of protection against - Requires periodic maintenance tor (SAR) with escape cylinder any harmful gas, vapor or chemical - Higher priced escape device - Self-contained breathing apparatus - Enables verbal communication - Hood material is not highly visible or flame (SCBA) - Easy to don
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