duminică, 19 ianuarie 2014

What Firefighter SCBA Means In Firefighting

By Judy Sullivan


Firefighting is a very risky job and requires special skills and special equipment. There is normally no breathable air in such environments making the rescue without a breathing aid impossible. To make the situation bearable, a device known as self contained breathing apparatus or firefighter SCBA is normally used for as a breathing aid. This device is independent from external supplies hence the risk of getting tangled is greatly reduced.

The basic components of a firefighter SCBA include a high pressure tank of breathing air, the insulated connecting pipes and a pressure regulator. The modern ones are more efficient with many additional features the most common being a face mask and lighter tank. The general design must allow for shoulder-carrying of victims with no hindrance. It must also allow for uninterrupted air flow no matter the environmental conditions.

Given the important role it plays in keeping the users safe, there are specific requirements that must be met by suppliers. In Europe for instance, the suppliers must comply with the requirements of Personal Protective Equipment Directive (89/686/EEC). These are extensions of European Standard EN 137: 2006 standards which detail the performance requirements, safety markings and the required information to be given to users.

The situation is not quite different in the United States of America and Canada where these devices must meet National Fire Protection Association guidelines, NFPA Standard 1981. When fully compliant with firefighting requirements, it earns 1981 NFPA compliant label. In addition to this, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have their own certification program designed for use in biological, chemical, radiological and nuclear environment.

On the design of a firefighter SCBA, the emphasis is more on the heat and flame resistance ability rather than cost. This has to do will their significance in life saving. Most of manufacturing devices must be light enough in addition to fire resistance and are in most cases exotic and very expensive. The modern ones have Automatic Distress Signal Units (ADSU) or Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) which get activated automatically when there is no evidence of movement between 15-30 seconds or manually if the user is in danger to assist on the search.

Given their complexity particularly in a panic mode, it is important that every potential user is engaged on continuous drill regardless of level of training and experience. This is particularly because these devices mean life or death to firefighters. Thinking of past failures and fatalities normally give the starting point for the drills.

The drill must be comprehensive covering areas such as SCBA check examining the operational readiness of a particular equipment, the consumption drill which determines for how long a particular bottle will last the user the last breath-drill concerning confidence in a panic mode among others.

The rescue operation is simply impossible without firefighter SCBA. This device makes the difference between life and death both to the users and victims alike. For this reason, every firefighter must be engaged in continuous training and drilling in order to be able to operate it accurately when the need arise,




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