An official website of the United States government
PPE CASE – Evaluation of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Involved in a Fatality While Operating at a Structure Fire
Division of Safety Research Requested the Evaluation of a Scott® Safety Air-Pak 4.5
June 2021
NPPTL Report Number TN-24967
NIOSH received an SCBA used by a fire fighter involved in a fatality. The SCBA was not found to contribute to the incident.
A qualified service technician must inspect, repair, test, clean, and replace damaged components of any SCBA involved in an incident before it may be returned to service.
This report provides a summary of NPPTL’s inspection and evaluation methods, as well as findings, for an SCBA that was being used by a fire fighter that had an out of air emergency and was found with his mask on and his regulator still in place while operating inside at a structure fire. The SCBA used was a Scott® Safety Air-Pak Model 4.5, 30 minute, 4500 psi unit. The NIOSH Division of Safety Research (NIOSH DSR) was advised that NIOSH NPPTL would provide a written report of the investigation and any applicable test results.
Division of Safety Research Requested the Evaluation of a Scott® Safety Air-Pak 4.5 [PDF – 6.5 MB]
Suggested Citation
NIOSH [2021]. PPE CASE: Evaluation of a Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Involved in a Fatality While Operating at a Structure Fire: New Haven, Connecticut Fire Department, Division of Safety Research Requested the Evaluation of a Scott® Safety Air-Pak 4.5. By Tarley, J. Morgantown, WV U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NPPTL Report Number TN-24967.