14a.31

14a.32 14a.33

Cartridge tests.

Mechanical filter tests.

Tests of complete nonemergency gas respirator.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 14a issued under secs. 2, 3, 5, 36 Stat. 370, as amended, secs. 201, 209, 212, 66 Stat. 692, 703, 709; 30 U.S.C. 3, 5, 7, 471, 479, 482.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 14a contained in Schedule 23B, 24 F.R. 6619, Aug. 4, 1959, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A-General Provisions § 14a.1

Purpose.

cartridge respirators, including paint spray respirators) means that the respirator conforms to the requirements of this part, and that a certificate of approval to that effect has been issued.

(b) "Bureau" means the United States Bureau of Mines.

(c) "Certificate of approval" means a formal document issued by the Bureau stating that the respirator has met the requirements of this part for nonemergency gas respirators and authorizing the use and attachment of an official approval label or marking so indicating.

1

(d) "Nonemergency gas respirator" means a completely assembled device (chemical cartridge respirator, including paint spray respirator) designed to provide respiratory protection against atmospheres which contain not more than 0.1 percent by volume 1 (1,000 parts per million (p.p.m.)) of organic vapors; and which are not immediately dangerous to life but which may produce discomfort, or a chronic type of poisoning or affection after repeated exposure, or mild or acute adverse physiological symptoms after prolonged exposure.

(e) "Applicant" means an individual, partnership, company, corporation, association, or other organization that designs and manufactures, or assembles, a nonemergency gas respirator and seeks a certificate of approval thereof. § 14a.3

Consultation.

By appointment, applicants or their representatives may visit the Bureau's Central Experiment Station,4800 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, and discuss with qualified Bureau personnel proposed designs of respirators to be submitted in accordance with the requirements of the regulations of this part. No charge is made for such consultation and no written report thereof will be submitted to the applicant.

§ 14a.4 Types of respirators for which certificates of approval may be granted.

(a) Certificates of approval will be granted for completely assembled nonemergency gas respirators only and not for individual parts or subassemblies.

(b) Two types of nonemergency gas respirators may be certified for protec

1 All concentrations given in this part have been calculated on a basis of 25° C. and 760 mm. mercury pressure.

tion against atmospheres containing not more than 0.1 percent by volume (1,000 parts per million (p.p.m.)) of organic vapors as follows:

(1) Туре В. For protection against organic vapors, such as acetone, alcohol, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, ether, formaldehyde, gasoline and petroleum distillates, and toluene.

(2) Type BE. For protection against organic vapors in combination with dusts, fumes, and mists, including dispersoids from paint-spraying operations.

NOTE: The type letter E indicates protection against particulate contaminants. § 14a.5 Fees for investigation.

(a) The full fee must accompany an application for testing a respirator or for retesting equipment that has been previously tested and disapproved. If less work is involved than for a complete investigation, the charge will be in proportion to the work done. Any surplus will be refunded to the applicant.

(b) The fee for tests covering only part of a complete investigation will be charged according to the work involved and will be in proportion to that charged for a complete investigation. The fee for such tests shall be determined in advance by the Bureau and the applicant notified accordingly in writing.

(c) The fee for an extension of certification will be determined according to the work required and the applicant will be notified accordingly. The fee must be paid in advance before the investigation will be undertaken.

(d) The following fees are charged for testing types B and BE nonemergency gas respirators:

1. Type B-Organic vapors, complete respirator

2. Type BE-Dusts, fumes, or mists in combination with organic vapors. Fee for filter tests in addition to that required for

Type B:

$760

(i) Pneumoconiosis

producing

NOTE: If a respirator fails to pass any of the required tests and the applicant notifies the Bureau to terminate further investigation or testing, the Bureau will return to the applicant any part of the fee not applied to its compensation for services. If the respirator is resubmitted for testing and approval after correcting the deficiencies, the additional fee will be determined in advance by the Bureau and the applicant will be notified accordingly. Such fee shall be paid before tests are begun.

[Sched. 23B, 24 F.R. 6619, Aug. 4, 1959, as amended at 30 F.R. 3754, Mar. 23, 1965]

(a) No investigation or testing will be undertaken by the Bureau except pursuant to a written application, in duplicate, accompanied by a check, bank draft, or money order, payable to the United States Bureau of Mines, to cover the fees, and all prescribed drawings, specifications, and related materials. The application and all related matters and all correspondence concerning it shall be sent to the Central Experiment Station, Bureau of Mines, 4800 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, Attention: Chief, Branch of Health Research.

(b) The application shall state that the respirator has been subjected to inspections and tests described in Subparts B and C, and that the device has met these requirements when tested by the applicant or his testing agency. Two copies of the results of all the applicant's inspections and tests shall accompany the application.

(c) Drawings and specifications shall be adequate in number and detail to identify fully the design of the respirator and to disclose its materials and detailed dimensions of all parts. Specifications must be given for materials, components, and subassemblies.

(d) The application shall state the purpose of the respirator, giving the types and specific kinds of atmospheric contaminants against which it is designed to furnish respiratory protection.

(e) The application shall state that the respirator is completely developed and of the design and materials which the applicant believes to be suitable for a finished marketable product.

(f) The application shall state the nature, adequacy, and continuity of control of the absorbents for gases or vapors, and characteristics of the filter material. The statement shall describe how each lot of absorbent and filter material will be sampled and tested to maintain its protective qualities before it is used in the applicant's nonemergency gas respirator. The Bureau reserves the right to have its qualified representative(s) inspect the applicant's control-test equipment and control-test records, and to interview the personnel who conduct the control tests to satisfy the Bureau that the proper procedure is being followed to insure the safety of the wearer of the nonemergency gas respirator for the intended service.

(g) When the Bureau notifies the applicant that the application will be accepted, it will also notify him as to the number of completely assembled respirators that will be required for testing together with the number of cartridges, filters, and other parts. All materials

required for testing must be delivered (charges prepaid) to the Bureau's Central Experiment Station, 4800 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213. § 14a.7

Date for conducting tests.

The date of acceptance of an application will determine the order of precedence for testing when more than one application is pending, and the applicant will be notified of the date on which tests will begin. If a respirator fails to meet any of the requirements, it shall lose its order of precedence. If an application is submitted to resume testing after correction of the cause of failure, it will be treated as a new application and the order of precedence for testing will be so determined.

§ 14a.8 Conduct of investigations, tests, and demonstrations.

Prior to the issuance of a certificate of approval, only Bureau personnel, representatives of the applicant, and such

other persons as may be mutually agreed upon, may observe the investigations or tests. The Bureau shall hold as confidential and shall not disclose principles or patentable features prior to certification, nor shall it disclose the results of chemical analyses of materials, or any details of the applicant's drawings, specifications, and related material. After the issuance of a certificate of approval, the Bureau may conduct such public demonstrations and tests of the approved respirator as it deems appropriate. The conduct of all investigations, tests, and demonstrations shall be under the sole direction and control of the Bureau, and any other persons shall be present only as observers.

§ 14a.9 Certificates of approval.

(a) Upon completion of investigation of a respirator, the Bureau will issue to the applicant either a certificate of approval or a written notice of disapproval, as the case may require. No informal notification of approval will be issued. If a certificate of approval is issued, no test data or detailed results of tests will accompany it. If a notice of disapproval is issued, it will be accompanied by details of the defects, with a view to possible correction. The Bureau will not disclose, except to the applicant, any information on a respirator upon which a notice of disapproval has been issued.

(b) A certificate of approval will be accompanied by a list of the drawings and specifications covering the details of design and construction of the respirator upon which the certificate of approval is based. Applicants shall keep exact duplicates of the drawings and specifications that have been submitted to the Bureau and that relate to the respirator which has received a certificate of approval, and these are to be adhered to exactly in production of the certified respirator for commercial purposes, in addition to the applicant's control of absorbents and filter materials.

(b) Appropriate instructions and caution statements on the use and limitations of the respirator shall be included on the approval label(s).

(c) One label shall be reproduced legibly on the outside of the container of the nonemergency gas respirator. The label for the cartridge shall be reproduced legibly on the outside of the cartridge. If a separate filter is used, a label, similar to that for filters covered by Part 14 of this subchapter, shall be reproduced on the outside of the container of extra filters.

(d) The facepiece shall be marked in a legible and permanent manner with the appropriate approval number. If a separate filter is used, each filter shall be marked with the appropriate approval number and with the type or types of dispersoid covered by the approval.

(e) Full-scale designs or reproductions of approval labels and markings and a sketch or description of their position shall be submitted to the Bureau's Central Experiment Station for approval before final adoption.

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(f) Use of the Bureau's approval label obligates the applicant to whom the certificate of approval was granted to maintain the quality of the complete respirator and guarantees that the complete respirator is manufactured and sembled according to the drawings and specifications upon which the certificate of approval was based. Use of the approval label or marking is not authorized except on respirators that conform strictly with the drawings and specifications upon which the certificate of approval was based.

§ 14a.11

Material required for record.

(a) The Bureau reserves the right to retain a complete respirator or any component thereof that has been tested and certified as part of the permanent record of the investigation. Material not required for record will be returned to the applicant upon his request and at his expense on written shipping instructions to the Bureau's Central Experiment Station.

(b) As soon as a certified respirator is commercially available, the applicant shall deliver a complete unit free of charge to the Bureau's Central Experiment Station.

§ 14a.12 Changes after certification.

If an applicant desires to change any feature of a certified nonemergency gas respirator, he shall first obtain the Bureau's approval of the change, pursuant to the following procedures:

(a) Application shall be made as for an original certificate of approval, requesting that the existing certification be extended to cover the proposed change. The application shall be accompanied by drawings and specifications and related material(s) as in the case of an original application.

(b) The application and accompanying material(s) will be examined by the Bureau to determine whether testing of the modified respirator or component will be required. Testing will be necessary if there is a possibility that the modification may affect adversely the performance of the respirator. The Bureau will inform the applicant in writing whether such testing is required, and the fee.

(c) If the proposed modification meets the requirements of this part, a formal extension of certification will be issued, accompanied by a list of new and corrected drawings and specifications to be added to those already on file as the basis for the extension of certification.

Subpart B-Respirator Requirements § 14a.20 Design and construction.

The Bureau will not test or investigate any nonemergency gas respirator that in its opinion is not constructed of suitable materials, that evidences faulty workmanship, or that is not designed on sound scientific principles. Adequacy of design and construction will be determined with reference to the following factors: Kind and durability of materials; durability of construction; practicality of operation for the wearer, such as freedom of movement, field of vision, fit of facepiece, and lack of discomfort; and performance characteristics during the investigation, including physiological effects on the wearer of the respirator. Since all possible designs, arrangements, or combinations of materials and components cannot be foreseen, the Bureau reserves the right to make any tests or to place any limitations on a respirator or part thereof not specifically covered herein to safeguard the wearer of such equipment.

§ 14a.21 Component parts.

All component parts of a respirator shall be designed, constructed, and fitted in such manner that they will not create a hazard to the wearer of the equipment. Cartridges and other parts of necessarily short life or period of use shall be easily replaceable and after replacement the tightness of the whole respirator shall be such as to protect the wearer against leaks of contaminated air.

§ 14a.22 Cartridges and containers; color and markings.

(a) The color and marking of a type B or BE cartridge shall conform with the latest revision of the "American Standard Safety Code for Identification of Gas-Mask Canisters."

(b) Cartridges shall be sealed to protect them against moisture during storage. Mechanical filter units shall be protected by containers such as envelopes, boxes, or bags.

(c) A substantial, durable container shall be provided for each nonemergency gas respirator to protect it when not in

use.

The respirator and its container shall be marked distinctly with the name of the applicant, and the type, letter, or number by which the respirator is commonly known.

(a) Only the half-mask type facepiece will be accepted for testing. It shall be so constructed as to assure a quick gastight fit on persons of various facial shapes and sizes.

(b) The half-mask facepiece shall not interfere with the wearer's use of goggles.

(c) Each facepiece shall be equipped with double head bands, which shall be elastic, adjustable, and replaceable.

(d) Cloth covering shall not be used for the face-contacting portion of the facepiece.

(e) An inhalation check valve(s) shall be provided to prevent exhaled air from coming in contact with the absorbent or the mechanical filter. An exhalation valve(s) also shall be provided, which shall be protected against damage or malfunctioning.

§ 14a.24 Breathing tube.

When a flexible breathing tube is part of the respirator construction, it shall permit free head movement and shall not shut off the breathing of the wearer because of kinking, chin or arm pressure, or otherwise interfere with the wearer.

§ 14a.25 Harness.

When a respirator is equipped with a harness, it shall be so constructed that it will hold the cartridge(s) and filter (s) securely in position against the wearer's body. The harness shall permit convenient replacement of cartridge(s) and filter(s) and shall provide for holding the facepiece in the "ready" position when the facepiece is not in use.

§ 14a.26 Cartridges in parallel.

When two cartridges are used in parallel on a respirator, their resistances to air flow shall be essentially equal. § 14a.27 Materials of construction.

(a) All parts of the respirator, especially rubber or plastic, that are in direct contact with portions of the wearer's body shall be of non-irritating composition.

(b) All materials that are used in the construction of facepieces shall withstand repeated disinfection by methods recommended by the applicant and acceptable to the Bureau.

NOTE: The accepted method for disinfection shall be described in the instructions for use of the respirator supplied by the applicant.