Escape Mask Options for the Department of Energy

1
Escape Mask Options for the Department of Energy

• Michael Sparks
• Policy Integration Technical Support, SO-13
• January 16, 2003

2
Key Factors in Escape Mask Selection

• Threat
• Protection Factor
• Suitability for Population
• Ease of Donning
• Donning Time
• Duration
• Shelf Life
• Cost
• Training

3
Escape Mask Types

• Negative Pressure
• Usually a hood with an attached filtration system
  and neck dam
• With or without nose cup
• Wearer draws air in through a filter
• Protection limited by filter media and integrity
  of neck dam seal
• Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR)
• Same concept as negative pressure system with the
  exception that a fan forces the air through the
  filter to the interior of the hood
• Usually with a neck dam, but seal integrity can
  be compromised slightly without system failure
• May encompass additional filtration media
• Protection limited by filter media
• Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
• Usually a hood based system with an attached
  supply of air or pure oxygen
• Positive pressure
• No filtration required, works in nearly all
  environs

4
Escape Mask Types
ILC Dover SCape
MSA
Essex VRU
Quick2000
Sundstrom SA-77
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Escape Mask Test Protocols

• There are no NIOSH Standards for Escape Masks
  (Possibly by 2003 year end)
• The Technical Support Working Group has conducted
  escape mask tests at the Armys Edgewood facility
• Only a few tested
• Two passed
• Only negative pressure hood systems were
  evaluated
• SCape PAPR currently under evaluation

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Comparison of Escape Masks
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Notes on Industrial Chemicals

• Toxic chemicals are legitimate articles of
  commerce
• Capable of being produced in quantities exceeding
  30 tons/year at one facility (LCt50 _at_ lt100,000
  mg-min/m3
• 1164 chemicals meet this criterion (eliminating
  solids at 200 C brings the number down to 98)
• Release of bulk quantities of toxic chemicals
• Immediate deaths within 400m of release
• Lethal concentrations up to 5km
• Concentrations exceeding 100,000 mg-min/m3
• May generate sufficient heat to cause ignition of
  sorbent bed
• Severe lack of oxygen in gas cloud
• CSX transports many of these chemicals directly
  behind this building

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Management Issues

• NIOSH Approval
• Training
• Donning mask/hood
• Evacuation
• Theft
• Union Issues
• Children's Center
• Other

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Recommendations

• Select the Essex VRU. It is best suited for the
  wide variety of threats facing DOE-HQ
• Procure 10 units for rapid evaluation at Edgewood
• Assist in efforts to get Essex on GSA schedule
• Alternatives in order of preference
• SCape
• Quick2000
• Develop training and use protocols