POLICY
Respiratory protection equipment
E3-2 POP
Respiratory protection equipment policy
This policy describes the rules around the use of respiratory protection equipment (RPE) by
Fire Service personnel.
Who it applies to This policy applies to all Fire Service personnel who:
use respiratory protection equipment
manage or control personnel who use respiratory protection
equipment.
Definition
For the purposes of this policy, ‘respiratory protection equipment’
means:
self-contained breathing apparatus (BA)
fixed airline BA
air purifying respirators (APR).
Use of respiratory protection equipment
Level of
The OIC Fire/Incident Commander (IC) is responsible for determining
respiratory
the minimum level of respiratory protection required at an incident, in
protection
line with the requirements below.
equipment
required
Situation
Respiratory protection
equipment required
Before entering a structure to
BA (donned)
investigate a fire or suspected fire
(including a private fire alarm call)
under the Official Information Act
Risk of exposure to toxic substances BA (donned and started up)
Risk of exposure to fumes
BA (donned and started up)
Risk of exposure to products of
BA (donned and started up)
combustion
or
APR (if criteria below met)
Released Risk of exposure to particulates BA (donned and started up)
or
APR (if criteria below met)
Any other irrespirable atmosphere
BA (donned and started up)
NZFS National Operations
Page 1 of 6
E3-2 POP Respiratory protection equipment policy November 2016
POLICY – Respiratory protection equipment
APR use criteria
APRs may be used as an alternative to BA:
at vegetation fires, as long as they are not also protecting a
structure (BA must be worn for this)
during overhaul after a structure fire is extinguished - but
only
if the additional criteria in the table below are met
if exposed to smoke at an incident and BA is not appropriate
for the activity they are undertaking (e.g. pump operator,
sector commander)
if exposed to smoke during training activities
conducting fire investigation - but
only if the criteria in the table
Act
below are met.
Use of APR
The table below shows the criteria that must all be met before APR
during overhaul/
can be used as an alternative to BA during overhaul or post-fire
post-fire
activities, where there is a risk of exposure to products of combustion.
activities
Situation
Yes
No
Is the fire out?
next
Continue to use
question
BA
Information
Has a K42 SitRep been
next
Continue to use
transmitted?
question
BA
Has 45 minutes or more of
next
Continue to use
ventilation occurred since this
question
BA
message?
Have Oxygen (O
Official
2) and Carbon
next
Continue to use
Monoxide (CO) levels been
question
BA
tested and confirmed as
acceptable? (continuous
the
monitoring required)
Has a successful negative
Use APR
Continue to use
pressure been test completed?
BA
APRs may be removed at the discretion of OIC Fire/Incident
under
Controller based on the following:
burnt materials are no longer smouldering
activities that create a risk of releasing particulates into the
atmosphere have ceased.
Where any doubt about the atmosphere exists, continue to wear
respiratory protection.
Released
NZFS National Operations
Page 2 of 6
E3-2 POP Respiratory protection equipment policy November 2016
POLICY – Respiratory protection equipment
Respiratory protection equipment on appliances
BA equipment
Every appliance carrying BA will have:
on appliances
an entry control board
an entry control officer jerkin
a minimum of one BA main guideline.
All main guideline and branch line tallies will:
meet the operational requirement
Act
be readily available to BA crews.
BA set
All BA sets will include the following equipment:
requirements
BA tally
distress signal unit (DSU)
personal line
a torch.
All BA equipment will meet the relevant equipment requirements listed
in the
Equipment requirements E1-1-3a to
E1-1-3g.
Information
APR equipment
Every appliance carrying BA will also carry APR canisters and
on appliances
adaptors as follows:
career appliances will carry the same number of APR
canisters and adaptors as they do BA sets
volunteer appliances will carry the same number of APR
Official
canisters and adaptors as they do BA sets, plus two additional
dedicated APR masks and canisters
Specialist Fire Investigators’ and Executive Officers’ vehicles
the
will carry a single dedicated APR mask and canister.
Entry control requirements
Stage One Entry
Stage One Entry Control entails:
under
Control
controlling the entry and exit of BA wearers using the Entry
Control Board
monitoring the safety of BA wearers
ensuring there is a response to any emergency involving BA
wearers
maintaining resources for BA wearers.
The role of Entry Control Officer (ECO) will initially be carried out by
Released the pump operator. The OIC Fire/IC will appoint a dedicated ECO as
soon as possible.
NZFS National Operations
Page 3 of 6
E3-2 POP Respiratory protection equipment policy November 2016
POLICY – Respiratory protection equipment
Stage Two Entry
Stage Two Entry Control applies when:
Control
three or more entry control points are set up, or
six or more teams of BA operators are working at any one
time, or
the OIC Fire/IC considers it necessary.
When Stage Two Entry Control is set up, the OIC Fire/IC will appoint
a Breathing Apparatus Support Officer (BASO).
Training requirements
Act
Who is trained
The following personnel will be trained and assessed to the relevant
national training standards in:
BA:
o firefighters carrying out operational duties requiring the use
of BA
o non-Fire Service personnel covered by an MOU
o BA Service Hub personnel carrying out Fire Service on-site
Information
station repairs to BA
o Approved Fillers trained to fill BA cylinders.
APR:
o firefighters carrying out operational duties requiring the use
of APR
o Specialist Fire Investigators
Official
o Executive Officers.
Note: OICs may allow an untrained person to use BA provided they
the
are under constant supervision of the Fire Service during an
emergency, if their knowledge and skill is required.
Current
All Fire Service personnel who are required to wear:
competency
BA will have current competency in wearing the type of BA
under
required at their location (i.e. standard or telemetry)
APR will have current competency in using APR.
Current competency is indicated by:
successful completion of the approved BA and APR training
modules
‘current’ OSM (Operational Skills Maintenance) status in the
skills listed under BA and APR in
OS5A Schedule of OSM
Released
skills and frequencies.
Telemetry BA
Only qualified telemetry BA wearers are to wear and operate BA
telemetry equipment.
Qualified wearers are identified with a green rectangle located on the
front of their helmet.
NZFS National Operations
Page 4 of 6
E3-2 POP Respiratory protection equipment policy November 2016
POLICY – Respiratory protection equipment
Health and safety requirements
Minimum levels
The minimum level of protective clothing for personnel wearing:
of protective
clothing
BA is:
o structural firefighting uniform
o splash suit, or
o gas suit;
APR is:
o structural firefighting uniform (Level 2 PPE)
o wildfire uniform (Level 1 PPE), or
Act
o protective coverall/overalls (including disposable).
Note: APR is not to be used with splash suits or gas suits – BA must be
worn with these.
Health and
Health and safety requirements related to BA and APR use are
safety
included in:
requirements
Equipment requirements for BA E1-1-3a to E1-1-3g
relevant Fire Service Training manuals
Information
AS/NZS 1715:2009
BA Reference Guide (BA-rg)
E3-2 GD Air purifying respirator guide.
Official
the
under
Released
NZFS National Operations
Page 5 of 6
E3-2 POP Respiratory protection equipment policy November 2016
POLICY – Respiratory protection equipment
Roles and responsibilities
OIC Fire/Incident The OIC Fire/IC is responsible for:
Commander
determining the minimum level of respiratory protection
required at an incident
ensuring that all Fire Service personnel wearing respiratory
protective equipment at an incident have the relevant current
competencies.
Area Manager
Area Managers are responsible for ensuring that:
Act
all personnel who use:
o BA are trained to the required standard described in this
policy and the
BA Reference Guide (BA-rg)
o APR are trained to the required standard described in this
policy
respiratory protective equipment users maintain ‘current’
status in the OSM skills
BA, APRs and ancillary equipment is:
o maintained to the required standard, as described in the
Standard Tests operational instruction
Information
o checked weekly (volunteer appliances), or at the
commencement
of each shift (career appliances)
on-station repairs of BA are carried out by trained BA Service
Hub personnel
accurate and current records are kept of BA use,
maintenance and testing
Official
only Approved Fillers fill BA cylinders.
the
Related documents
The following documents provide information relevant to this policy:
Equipment requirements E1-1-3a to E1-1-3g
AS/NZS 1715:2009
under
BA Reference Guide (BA-rg)
E3-2 GD Air purifying respirator guide
Record of amendments
Date
Brief description of amendment
Released
November Policy transferred into current operational policy template.
2016
Content added about air purifying respirators (APR).Title changed from “E3-2 Breathing apparatus
(NCI4)” to “Respiratory protection equipment policy (E3-2 POP)” to reflect this addition.
Content added about telemetry BA.
Policy amended to align with revised BA Reference Guide (BA-rg).
Breathing apparatus training policy (E3-2 TRP) incorporated into this policy.
Addition of information relating to APRs.
NZFS National Operations
Page 6 of 6
E3-2 POP Respiratory protection equipment policy November 2016
Document Outline
