[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 68 (Friday, April 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 18336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-8371]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Breath Responsive Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs); 
Notice of Acceptance and Evaluation

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Department of 
Health and Human Services (DHHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the criteria and standard test procedure 
that are being used by NIOSH for the evaluation of applications for 
approval of breath responsive powered air-purifying respirators 
(PAPRs).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Sam Terry, Team Leader, Respirator 
Certification Team, Respirator Branch, Division of Respiratory Disease 
Studies, NIOSH, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505, 
Telephone (304) 285-5907.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A breath responsive powered air-purifying 
respirator (PAPR) is designed to deliver filtered air to the user upon 
demand in order to match the respiratory requirements of the user. The 
requirements for the evaluation of PAPRs under Title 42, Code of 
Federal Regulations, part 84, do not address these design features. In 
accordance with 42 CFR 84.60 and 84.63, and the past practice of NIOSH, 
the Institute will evaluate a breath responsive PAPR submitted for 
approval under the requirements for PAPRs in 42 CFR part 84 that are 
applicable to its design. Design features of breath responsive PAPRs 
that cannot be addressed under the present PAPR standards will be 
evaluated under additional test procedures established to determine the 
quality, effectiveness and safety of the respirator. Since there is no 
applicable test for breath responsive PAPRs in the PAPR requirements, 
the Institute has determined that the airflow resistance for breath 
responsive PAPRs will be evaluated under the requirements of 42 CFR 84, 
subpart J, Sec. 84.157, for pressure-demand supplied air respirators. 
For the convenience of the reader, Sec. 84.157 is republished as 
follows:

Sec. 84.157   Airflow resistance test; Type C supplied-air 
respirator, pressure-demand class; minimum requirements.

    (a) The static pressure in the facepiece shall not exceed 38 mm. 
(1.5 inches) of water-column height.
    (b) The pressure in the facepiece shall not fall below 
atmospheric at inhalation airflows less than 115 liters (4 cubic 
feet) per minute.
    (c) The exhalation resistance to a flow of air at a rate of 85 
liters (3 cubic feet) per minute shall not exceed the static 
pressure in the facepiece by more than 51 mm. (2 inches) of water-
column height.
    NIOSH has developed Standard Test Procedure APRS-STP-0065-00 
which can adequately test the quality, effectiveness and safety of 
this type of design feature. Copies of this procedure are available 
upon request.

Linda Rosenstock,
 Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 00-8371 Filed 4-6-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-18-U