[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 190 (Monday, October 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49388-49389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21256]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[Docket No. CDC-2018-0093; NIOSH-320]


Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Compressed Breathing Gas 
Containers; Request for Information

AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS.

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: In October 2017, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued 
a special permit to the Digital Wave Corporation, allowing the company 
to extend the service life of certain carbon-fiber reinforced aluminum-
lined cylinders. Some stakeholders, including respirator and cylinder 
manufacturers, have expressed concern to the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), within the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, about the safety of cylinders extended beyond 
the manufacturers' stated service life. NIOSH is seeking information 
about the potential effect of the special permit, as it may relate to 
the safety of self-contained breathing apparatus respirators approved 
by NIOSH for use in U.S. workplaces.

DATES: Comments must be received by November 30, 2018.

ADDRESSES: 
    Written comments: You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments to the docket.
     Mail: NIOSH Docket Office, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 
MS-C34, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS) and docket number 
(CDC-2018-0093; NIOSH-320) for this action. All relevant comments, 
including any personal information provided, will be posted without 
change to http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Peterson, NIOSH National 
Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, 
Pittsburgh, PA 15236; 1-888-654-2294 (this is a toll-free number); 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Transportation approves 
certain carbon-fiber reinforced aluminum-lined cylinders (hereinafter 
``DOT-CFFC''), which are commonly used to provide breathing air in the 
self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) respirators typically carried 
by firefighters and other industrial workers to protect them in 
atmospheres immediately dangerous to life and health. Currently, all 
DOT-CFFC approved cylinders that are a sub-component of NIOSH-approved 
SCBA have a service life of 15 years; DOT regulations require 
``requalification'' every 5 years to ensure that each cylinder can hold 
its rated pressure for the duration of the 15-year service life.
    In October 2017, the DOT Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety 
Administration issued special permit, DOT-SP 16320 (Third Revision), to 
Digital Wave Corporation of Centennial, CO.\1\ Digital Wave Corporation 
manufactures ultrasonic examination cylinder testing equipment, modal 
acoustic emission testing equipment, and provides associated inspection 
services, including the requalification of carbon-fiber reinforced 
aluminum-lined cylinders. Pursuant to DOT-SP 16320, modal acoustic 
emission requalification testing allows DOT-CFFC cylinders to be 
authorized for use for 5 years after the original 15-year service life; 
cylinders could be requalified three times beyond the original 15-year 
service life, for a total service life of 30 years.
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    \1\ DOT Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, 
DOT-SP 16320, https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/approvals-and-permits/hazmat/file-serve/offer/SP16320.pdf/offerserver/SP16320.
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    Modal acoustic emission testing is an advanced, non-destructive 
evaluation of carbon-fiber reinforced aluminum-lined cylinders that 
detects structural damage which can compromise burst pressure strength 
in a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. The modal acoustic emission 
waveforms can be used to identify damage such as fiber breakage and 
delamination. Some stakeholders have expressed concerns regarding 
potential cylinder failure when the service life is extended past the 
service life identified on the original special permit. Since DOT-SP 
16320 was issued, more than 3,500 carbon-fiber reinforced aluminum-
lined cylinders have been requalified beyond their original 15-year 
service life using the modal acoustic emission method.
    NIOSH has published guidance advising SCBA users who may be 
concerned about using modal acoustic emission-requalified cylinders as 
part of their NIOSH-approved SCBA configuration to review the user 
instructions, supplemental informational inserts, safety precautions, 
and SCBA warranty information provided by the NIOSH approval holder.\2\ 
The guidance further encourages approval holders to provide respiratory 
protection program administrators and SCBA users with current 
recommendations regarding the DOT-SP 16320 requalification method with 
regard to service life limitations or other relevant matters.
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    \2\ https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/resources/pressrel/letters/respprotect/CA-2018-1006.html.
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    NIOSH seeks to better understand the use of modal acoustic emission 
testing to requalify DOT-CFFC cylinders beyond the original 15-year 
service life, as permitted by DOT-SP 16320, as well as the safety and 
health concerns of users in industrial settings, including the fire 
service and first responders.

[[Page 49389]]

Accordingly, NIOSH is seeking data and information from all interested 
stakeholders in response to the following questions:
    1. Are users of DOT-CFFC cylinders that have been requalified for 
service life beyond 15 years, pursuant to the provisions of DOT-SP 
16320, exposed to any elevated safety or health risk as a result of 
either the modal acoustic emission requalification testing itself or 
the service life extension? If so, identify the concern or concerns and 
provide substantive data, studies, references, and information to 
further characterize and/or quantify the concern.
    2. Does the service-life extension offered by DOT-SP 16320 or the 
modal acoustic emission testing itself provide a benefit to either end 
users or institutional users (e.g., fire departments)? If so, please 
provide any relevant data, studies, references, or other corroborating 
information.
    3. What factors do respiratory protection program managers consider 
in determining whether to replace an expiring cylinder with a new 
replacement cylinder or requalify the expiring cylinder using modal 
acoustic emission testing?
    4. In which industries and operations are modal acoustic emission-
requalified cylinders currently being used?

John J. Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2018-21256 Filed 9-28-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4163-19-P