NIOSH Issues Respirator Approvals for CBRN
NIOSH issued the first two certificates of approval for air-purifying escape respirators (APER) with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) protection.
Approval was granted on October 24, 2005, to Mine Safety Appliances Company for the Safe Escape CBRN APER and on October 28, 2005, to ILC Dover for the SCape CBRN APER.
The approvals signify that the products are expected to protect the general working population in escape scenarios from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear exposures that could be seen at a terrorist event.
NIOSH based its determinations on positive results from rigorous laboratory tests, evaluation of product specifications for the devices, and assessment of the manufacturer's quality control procedures.
The action allows the manufacturers to label the approved devices as NIOSH-certified for occupational use. It does not constitute a commercial endorsement of the product. The approvals are posted on the NIOSH Web page.
