Safety Standards, Repairs, and Recordkeeping ANSI and OSHA Requirements OSHA refers to Inspection and maintenance   under   1910.134   of   the General Rule Self-contained  breathing  apparatus  is  a vital part of personal protective equipment. It safeguards against hazardous  atmospheres.    But  breathing apparatus  is  just  like  any  other  piece  of professional     equipment.          It     requires proper inspection and, maintenance. Under   the   provisions   of   the   American National     Standards     Institute's     (ANSI) Standards Z88.2 and Z88.5, responsibility for the respiratory protection  program  must  be  assigned  to an  administrator.    He  and  the  person(s) he     designates     must     have     sufficient knowledge and training to conduct equipment maintenance and inspection. ANSI    Z88.2    and    Z88.5    describe    the inspection   and   maintenance   procedures that   designated   personnel   must   follow during the checks made:     at least weekly     after each use of the apparatus     monthly  during  thorough  examination and testing. The  end  result  of  such  inspection  and maintenance  procedures  is  that  the  user can be assured that his equipment will be checked in compliance with ANSI requirements. Copies of ANSI Z88.2 and Z88.5 may be purchased   from   the   American   National Standards     Institute,     1430     Broadway, New York, N.Y.  10018. Repairs by Qualified Persons Only MSA    now    provides    three    levels    of inspection,  maintenance,  and  repair  for self contained breathing apparatus. Level I includes procedures necessary to conduct a general cleaning and inspection  of  the  breathing  apparatus  in accordance with the ANSI standards. The  procedures  for  Level  I  are  included in   this   bulletin.      No   special   training   is required,  although  the  user  must  have  a thorough understanding of the apparatus. Level II is for Trained Air Mask Maintenance Personnel. This intermediate  program  covers  about  90% of all field repairs.  Most of the operations deal  with  the  low-pressure  areas  of  the apparatus, although a few repairs can be made     to     high-pressure     components. Level II requires training by an authorized MSA   representative,   along   with   some special    tools    and    an    MSA    Portable Regulator     Tester.          A     certificate     of instruction    is    issued    upon    successful completion of the program. Level  III  involves  the  Certified  Regulator Repairman  Program  for  authorized  MSA Air     Mask     Service     Centers.          These persons   are   authorized   to   perform   all maintenance   and   repairs,   including   the high-pressure    areas    of    the    regulator, Audi-Larm  assembly,  and  cylinder  valve. Certified  Regulator  Repairmen  must  first successfully   complete   Level   II   training and then be certified by an MSA product specialist.      This   can   be   done   at   your location.        Qualified    organizations    are issued a certificate (see below).  If there is   no   Air   Mask   Service   Center   in   your area, return the unit to MSA for service. Here  is  one  note  of  caution.    Breathing apparatus  must  not  be  repaired  beyond the manufacturer's recommendations. ANSI Z88.5 make this clear "Replacement   or   repairs   shall   be   done only   by   qualified   persons,   using   parts designed   for   the   breathing   apparatus. No   attempt   shall   be   made   to   replace parts  or  to  make  adjustments  or  repairs beyond the manufacturer's recommendations. Reducing or admission  valves  or  regulators  shall  be returned   to   the   manufacturer   or   to   a trained    technician    for    adjustment    or repair.    Parts  shall  not  be  interchanged among devices of different manufacturers." Under    no    circumstances    should    any maintenance  or  repair  operations  be attempted unless personnel are trained  or  certified  by  MSA.    Without training   or   certification,   only   those operations  described  In  this  bulletin may  be  performed  on  MSA  breathing apparatus. MSA Inspection Tags and Forms For    easy    checking    and    recording    of inspections     called     for     under     OSHA 1910.134   and   ANSI,   an   inspection   tag (shown  below)  for  the  Ultralite  Air  Mask is available from MSA. The  inspection  tag  may  be  attached  to the backplate of the breathing apparatus, or   elsewhere,   for   easy   reference.     A checklist  on  the  front  of  the  tag  outlines the procedures for conducting the inspections     that     must     be     made     on breathing  apparatus  after  each  use  and monthly, as prescribed by OSHA. The back of the card has space available to  record  both  monthly  inspections  and individual use of the apparatus. In  addition,  MSA  can  supply  you  with  a permanent  log  for  recording  the  weekly, after  each  use,  and  monthly  inspections. The log can be kept in the files, separate from  the  apparatus.    This  letter-size  log (shown above) is a handy check-off list to use when making inspections of breathing apparatus.  A serial number on the regulator can be used to identify each unit. Note: This bulletin is offered only as a general guide for the inspection and maintenance of Ultralite Air Masks from MSA. Under no circumstances should these products be inspected and  maintained  except  by  qualified,  trained  personnel  and not    until    the    instructions,    labels,    or    other    literature accompanying  the  products  have  been  carefully  read  and the  precautions  therein  set  forth  are  followed.    Only  they contain  the  complete  and  detailed  information  concerning these products. 600 Penn Center Boulevard MSA Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15235 USA Phone (412) 273-5000 · Telex 812453 Branch  offices  throughout  the  United  States  (Call  toll-free  1-800-MSA-2222). Subsidiaries in: Amsterdam Barcelona Berlin Calcutta Glasgow Harare   Johannesburg Lima Malmo Mexico City Milan    Ndola  Paris   Santiago   Sao Paulo Singapore Sydney Tokyo Toronto.  Representatives in principal cities throughout the world. Bulletin No.  0105-2  Part No.  476465   Printed in U.S.A.  847 8