1. Frontline Firefighter
Breathing air cylinders in storageor set aside for emergency use, fall under
specific OSHA requirements regarding fill pressures. Thesecylinders could be the
30 minute bottles in your storagecloset, your 60 minute Drag Bag bottle, the one
hour bottles on the Hazmattruck or a platform Ladder’s largeair cylinder.
OSHA 1910.134(h)(3)(iii) In addition to the requirements of paragraphs
(h)(3)(iii) and(ii) of this section, self-contained breathing apparatus shall be
inspected monthly. Air and oxygen cylinders shall be maintainedina fully
chargedstate and shall be rechargedwhenthe pressure falls to90% of the
manufacturer's recommendedpressurelevel.
Each time we test the regulator and the low pressurealarm on the SCBAs, so as to
comply with OSHA and manufacturer inspection requirements, we use up a small
amount of air. Over several months of inspection and testing, it is only logical
that the air pressurein the bottle will be reduced. OSHA has set the MINIMUM
AIRpressurefor storagecylinders at 90% of the manufacturer's recommended
pressurelevel. This means that wewill have to continue to "top off" our cylinders
a few of times a month or year even if they are never used, yes this includes the
large bottles on the side of the platform Ladder trucks.
The 90 percentlevel wasselected to ensure that sufficient air remainsin the
cylinder to allow emergency respondersto perform their requireddutiesin a
contaminated or oxygen-deficientatmosphere and stillhave sufficient air
available to escape from these conditions. The 90 percentlevel, and the
requirementthatcylindersbe recharged once the pressure fallsbelow 90 percent,
wasalso recommended by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.
Note: the INSPECTIONDOCUMENTATIONfor emergency use or storage only
respirators is differentthan respirators thatare "everyday use"
Okay, weknow how much air weare supposed to keep inside our cylinders at all
times…now: The steel cylinders, like thoseon the side of platform Ladder trucks,

2. should have the air inside rotated annually according to NFPA 1981 –2013
edition. If you have30 minute or one hour SCBA cylinders that haven’t been used
in a year… slowly drain and refill thosetoo.
Please…do not storeempty Ladder cylinders, SCBA bottles and especially empty
medical oxygen cylinders that are waiting to be refilled with the cylinder valvein
the open position. When the cylinder valve is in the open position, all kinds of
nasty stuff including moistureare allowed to enter that open cylinder.
Also, please to remember to log all cylinder refills in the log book at the
compressor siteso we can track each and every fill, this includes Ladder and
Squad/Salvagetruck refills. It’s notonly very important; it’s also an OSHA
requirement.
Thank you for your attention