What to know
- NIOSH approves respirators that protect against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) hazards.
- Respirators with CBRN protections are only permitted for use in specific environments.
Types of CBRN respirators
NIOSH approves respirators that protect against CBRN hazards. Respirators with CBRN protections can include:
- Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBAs)
- Air-purifying respirators (APRs)
- Air-purifying escape respirators (APERs)
- Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs)
NIOSH published the first CBRN standard in 2001. Since then, NIOSH has developed performance and design standards, as well as over 60 Standard Testing Procedures, used to evaluate these types of respirators. The NIOSH Respirator Approval Program has issued close to 400 active approvals for respirators with CBRN protections, which emergency responders use.
Environments for use
NIOSH Approved® CBRN APRs and CBRN PAPRs have unique performance, use limitations, and storage requirements compared to NIOSH Approved non-CBRN APRs and PAPRs. Additionally, NIOSH Approved CBRN SCBA respirators are different from NIOSH Approved non-CBRN SCBAs in that they must also comply with additional requirements and special tests defined by NIOSH.
- "13F" approvals refer to SCBAs, including CBRN SCBAs.
- "14G" approvals refer to CBRN PAPRs approved as tight-fitting full facepiece gas mask respirators with canisters and CBRN APR gas masks.
- "23C" approvals refer to PAPRs with loose-fitting hoods and cartridges.
NIOSH Approved 14G APRs, 14G PAPRs, and 23C PAPRs that are not approved with CBRN protection must not be used for protection against chemical warfare agents.
Respirators with CBRN protections are only permitted for use in specific environments. Always refer to and understand the manufacturer's user instructions.
Entry into and escape from oxygen-deficient atmospheres
- CBRN SCBAs may be used for entry into or escape from oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
- CBRN APRs and CBRN PAPRs must not be used in oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
Entry into and escape from an atmosphere that has become immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH)
- CBRN SCBAs may be used for entry into and escape from an IDLH atmosphere.
- CBRN APRs may only be used for escape from an IDLH atmosphere.
- A 14G CBRN PAPR may be used for escape from an IDLH atmosphere. Approved CBRN PAPRs must not be used to enter an IDLH atmosphere.
- A 23C CBRN PAPR may not be used to escape from an IDLH atmosphere.
Identifying respirators with CBRN protection
Each NIOSH certificate of approval includes labels to be used by the approval holder.
CBRN APR and CBRN PAPR labels
To determine if an APR has been approved by NIOSH for CBRN protection, you should consult the full NIOSH approval label for the facepiece and canister. For PAPRs, you should consult the full NIOSH approval label for the facepiece, canister, or cartridge.
The full approval label contains:
- Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and NIOSH Logos.
- NIOSH TC approval number (e.g., TC-23C-XXXX, TC-14G-XXXX).
- "CBRN" is not contained in the approval number.
- "CBRN" is not contained in the approval number.
- Type and level of protection - The CBRN protection is listed with "CBRN" and a capacity level (e.g., CBRN Cap1, CBRN Cap 2).
- Exact part numbers of the CBRN approved assembly of components listed in a row beginning with the NIOSH TC approval number.
- Caution and limitation statements.
Additionally, most CBRN canisters or cartridges have adhesive labels. These labels are color coded. The color of a CBRN APR canister, CBRN PAPR canister, and CBRN PAPR cartridge is olive.
CBRN SCBA labels
For CBRN SCBAs, there are three NIOSH labels:
- NIOSH Respirator Approval Label provided in the manufacturer’s user instructions or as an insert to the user instructions. This is a paper label.
- If the approval number (TC) on this label does not include a CBRN suffix, it is not approved by NIOSH for CBRN protection level.
- If the approval number (TC) on this label does not include a CBRN suffix, it is not approved by NIOSH for CBRN protection level.
- SCBA harness label placed on the backframe carrier/harness assembly (adhesive label).
- CBRN Agent Approved Label placed on the backframe carrier/harness assembly (adhesive label).
- If the NIOSH CBRN Agent Approved Label is not on the backframe carrier/harness assembly, it should not be used in CBRN environments.
- If the NIOSH CBRN Agent Approved Label is not on the backframe carrier/harness assembly, it should not be used in CBRN environments.
Additionally, NIOSH requires CBRN SCBAs to meet the applicable National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1981 Standard for Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus for Emergency Services. There may be one or two Safety Equipment Institute Inc. (SEI) labels signifying the NFPA standards that SEI has certified that the respirator meets.
Service life
- A CBRN SCBA should not be used beyond 6 hours after initial exposure to chemical warfare agents (liquid or vapor) to avoid the possibility of agent permeation.
- CBRN APRs and CBRN PAPRs should not be used beyond 8 hours after initial exposure to vapor chemical warfare agents.
- The person responsible for respirator use should establish a change schedule prior to use of a CBRN APR or CBRN PAPR.
- If exposed to liquid droplets,
- CBRN APRs and 14G CRBN PAPRs must not be used for more than two hours.
- 23C CBRN PAPRs must not be used.
- CBRN APRs and 14G CRBN PAPRs must not be used for more than two hours.
Discarding
CBRN APRs, CBRN PAPRs, and CBRN SCBAs are considered to be contaminated at initial contact with any liquid or vapor phase chemical warfare agent, regardless of the duration or frequency of such contact. For CBRN SCBAs, use must be discontinued at or before the 6-hour mark.
The entire CBRN APR, CBRN PAPR, and CBRN SCBA (including the cylinder valve assembly) must be decontaminated and disposed of in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and applicable regulations.
Retrofitting SCBAs and PAPRs
SCBA
A NIOSH Approved retrofit kit is required to upgrade a NIOSH Approved SCBA to CBRN protection. The retrofit program requires that:
- A field-deployed SCBA selected for retrofitting to NIOSH CBRN protection level must meet the criteria established by the respirator manufacturer for the retrofit approval.
- Upgrading is done by an authorized manufacturer’s trained technician or the SCBA manufacturer.
- Components and labels are installed per the NIOSH Approved CBRN retrofit kit and instructions.
PAPR
A NIOSH Approved non-CBRN PAPR can be retrofitted with the proper components to provide CBRN PAPR protection level provided:
- The retrofit is performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions using the manufacturer’s retrofit kit specific for upgrading that PAPR model to CBRN protection.
- Respirators to be retrofitted must be in “fully operational and protective condition” (less than five years of prior service as a non-CBRN respirator as part of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration‐compliant respiratory protection program).
- The retrofit kit must contain the following: CBRN PAPR retrofit kit instructions; replacement packaging, components, parts, materials; CBRN canisters or cartridges.
- The PAPR must be assembled to the identical assembly of the NIOSH Approved components, including the minimum packaging configuration for tight fitting CBRN PAPR.
Interoperability of CBRN APRs
Unlike non-CRBN APRs, CBRN APRs are evaluated by NIOSH to assure that each CBRN canister can provide the specified level of protection on all facepieces that are a component of a NIOSH Approved CBRN APR assembly, regardless of manufacturer.
NIOSH assures this interoperability of components through design requirements controlling the respirator/canister connector and the canister physical characteristics. NIOSH also assures that the use of facepieces and canisters from different manufacturers and NIOSH Approved CBRN assemblies will not affect the fit of the respirator.
When assembled in this configuration, know that the respirator is not in the approved configuration and may not provide the same performance features (e.g. breathing resistance).
However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration may permit the interoperable use of CBRN APR facepieces and canisters among NIOSH Approved CBRN APR during emergencies only. Thus, mixing CBRN facepieces and CBRN canisters among NIOSH Approved respirators during non-emergency operations is not permitted outside an emergency situation.
Learn more
- NIOSH Approved is a certification mark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) registered in the United States and several international jurisdictions.