42 C.F.R. §§ 84.303–84.305

NIOSH will conduct capacity and performance tests on the CCER using a breathing and metabolic simulator to provide quantitative evaluations and human subjects on a treadmill to provide qualitative evaluations. Information on the design and operation of the simulator is available from the NIOSH Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl. Technical specifications can be obtained from NIOSH by contacting the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) by mail: P.O. Box 18070, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236. Telephone: 412-386-4000 (this is not a toll-free number). Email: [email protected].

Capacity, performance, and wearability tests will continuously monitor the stressors listed in Table 1. The stressors and their respective acceptable ranges will be measured at the interface between the CCER and the mouth by instruments capable of breath-by-breath measurement. Stressor measurements will be evaluated as 1-minute averages. The operating averages of each stressor will be calculated upon the completion of each test as the average of the 1-minute measurements of the stressor recorded during the test. The level of any excursion for a stressor occurring during a test will be defined by the 1-minute average value(s) of the excursion(s).

Capacity and performance tests will conclude when the stored breathing gas supply has been fully expended.

NIOSH will determine a CCER to have failed a capacity, performance, or wearability test if any of the following occurs:

Unless otherwise stated, tests required under this subpart will be conducted at the following ambient conditions:

NIOSH will conduct the capacity test on a total of 8 to 10 of the units submitted for approval, as follows:

The capacity test will begin upon the first inhalation from or exhalation into the unit.

Each unit will be tested at a constant work rate, depending on the capacity value specified by the manufacturer, according to the requirements specified in Table 2. All volumes are given at standard temperature (0 C) and pressure (760 mm Hg), dry, unless otherwise noted.

NIOSH will rate an approved CCER using the appropriate capacity rating, as specified in Table 2.

NIOSH will document the least value achieved by the seven units tested using the breathing and metabolic simulator. NIOSH will quantify this value of achieved capacity within an increment of 5 liters, rounding intermediate values to the nearest lower 5-liter increment.

NIOSH will conduct the performance test on a total of six of the units submitted for approval, as follows:

Except as provided under paragraph (c) of this section, the performance test will apply a repeating cycle of work rates, according to the sequence and requirements specified in Table 3, until the oxygen supply of the unit is exhausted.

Testing of CCERs with less than 50 liters of capacity, as determined by the capacity testing under § 84.304, will require the submission of additional test units to fully apply the work-rate test sequence and requirements specified in Table 3. The testing of each individual unit will complete the cycle specified in Table 3 until the breathing supply of the initial test unit is exhausted. This initial test unit will then be replaced by a second unit, which will continue the test cycle, beginning at the work rate in the cycle at which the initial unit was exhausted, and completing the full period specified in Table 3 for that work rate before proceeding to the subsequent work rate, if any, specified in Table 3. Each initial testing unit will be replaced as many times as necessary to complete the cycle, not to exceed two replacement units per initial test unit.

The performance test will begin with two exhalations into the unit at the specified ventilation rate and then follow the manufacturer's instructions to determine the design's susceptibility to hypoxia upon initial donning.