Evaluation of proposed methods to update human testing of self-contained breathing apparatus.

The current Man Test protocols used by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for the certification testing of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) do not provide continuous real-time information on the performance of these devices during actual use. In addition, current protocols do not test human subjects at the same absolute work rates but at rates that vary according to the subjects' body weights. This study was conducted to evaluate revised "Use Test" protocols proposed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, which are normalized to subjects' body weights. No differences in duration were observed among the three body weight categories for the multiple work rate. Use Test 2. It was concluded that the proposed Use Test protocols could form the basis for eventual recommendations to revise the current Man Tests for SCBA performance evaluation.