scope:

This standard shall specify the minimum design, performance, testing, and certification requirements for respirators to provide protection from inhalation hazards for personnel conducting wildland fire-fighting operations.

This standard shall specify only respirator requirements for use in non-IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) wildland environments during wildland fire-fighting operations.

This standard shall specify requirements for any accessories or enhancements built into, attached to, or sold with the certified wildland fire-fighting respirator by the respirator manufacturer for later attachment and which shall be tested with the wildland fire-fighting respirator and with those accessories and enhancements installed or attached, as specified in 4.3.11 and 4.3.11.1.

This standard shall not specify requirements for any wildland fire-fighting protective clothing and protective equipment other than that identified in 1.1.1 through 1.1.3.

This standard shall not specify requirements for respirators for any other fire-fighting operations other than those identified in 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, any technical rescue operation, any hazardous materials emergencies, or any CBRN incident operations.

Certification of respirators for wildland fire-fighting operations to the requirements of this standard shall not preclude certification to additional appropriate standards where the respirator meets all the applicable requirements of each standard.

This standard shall not be construed as addressing all of the safety concerns associated with the use of compliant respirators. It shall be the responsibility of the persons and organizations that use compliant respirators to establish safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

This standard shall not be construed as addressing all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with the use of this standard by testing facilities. It shall be the responsibility of the persons and organizations that use this standard to conduct testing of respirators to establish safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to using this standard for any designing, manufacturing, and testing.

Nothing herein shall restrict any jurisdiction or manufacturer from exceeding these minimum requirements.

Purpose.

The purpose of this standard shall be to establish minimum levels of respiratory protection for personnel assigned to or involved in wildland fire-fighting incident operations.

Controlled laboratory tests used to determine compliance with the performance requirements of this standard shall not be deemed as establishing performance levels for all situations to which wildland fire-fighting personnel might be exposed.

This standard is not intended as a detailed manufacturing or purchase specification, but shall be permitted to be referenced in purchase specifications as minimum requirements.