Respiratory protection standards

According to the European Directive 89/686/EEC from December 21st 1989, personal respirators must be labeled to be sold. These European texts implies a whole series of regulatory applications: the respiratory protection standards.

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION STANDARDS SUMMARY

Respiratory protective equipment such as half-masks, full-face masks, powered air purifying respirators, self-contained breathing apparatus, supplied air respirators, emergency escape breathing devices and self-rescuer masks are class 3 PPE which have to comply with a clearly defined regulation. Find here major current respiratory protection standards:

DISPOSABLE MASK STANDARDS (DUST MASK)

  • EN 149: Single-use half-mask, filtering device against particles
  • EN 405: Valved filtering half masks for use against gases or gases and particles

REUSABLE MASK STANDARD (HALF-MASK OR FULL-FACE MASK)

  • EN 136: Full-face respiratory protective mask for use with filter and respiratory protection device (powered air purifying respirator, compressed air SCBA…)
  • EN 140: Reusable quarter and half-mask for use with filter and respiratory protection device (powered air purifying respirator, compressed air SCBA…)
  • EN 141 (EN14387): Vapor/gas filters and combined filters for negative pressure respiratory protective devices. They are gathered according to their type and class which correspond to a filtering capacity difference and a maximal authorized toxicity concentration in polluted air.
  • EN 138: Fresh air respiratory protective device with full-face mask, half-mask or mouthpiece
  • EN 143: Particles filter for negative pressure respiratory protective devices. They are efficient against dusts and fibers, most of fumes, liquid fogs and bacteria. Suit in EN 140 half-masks and EN 136 full-face masks.
  • EN 148: Facepiece thread
  • EN 371 (EN14387): AX gas filter and combined filter against organic compounds with low boiling point < 65°C). Single-use cartridge.

⇒ See all gas masks

POWERED AIR RESPIRATOR STANDARDS

  • EN 269: Powered fresh air respirator with hood
  • EN 12941: Powered air purifying respirator with mask, helmet or hood against particles, gases and vapors
  • EN 12942: Powered air purifying respirator with full-face mask or half-mask against particles, gases and vapors

⇒ See all powered air purifying respirators

SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS STANDARDS

  • EN 137: Self-contained opened-circuit breathing apparatus with compressed air
  • EN 144-1: Gas cylinder valve; threaded connection
  • EN 145: Self-contained closed-circuit breathing apparatus with compressed oxygen or compressed oxygen-nitrogen
  • EN 402: Emergency escape breathing device, self-contained opened-circuit breathing apparatus with compressed air, full-face mask or mouthpiece
  • EN 1146: Emergency escape breathing device, self-contained opened-circuit breathing apparatus with compressed air and hood

⇒ See all self-contained breathing apparatus

SUPPLIED AIR RESPIRATOR STANDARDS

  • EN 1835: Supplied compressed air self-contained breathing apparatus, light duty construction with mask or hood.
  • EN 12419: Supplied compressed air self-contained breathing apparatus, light duty construction with full-face mask, half-mask, quarter-mask
  • EN 14594: Supplied compressed air SCBA with constant flow (replaces EN 1835 – EN 12419 – EN 270 and EN 139)
  • EN 145931: Supplied compressed air SCBA with demand-flow regulator and full-face mask (replaces EN 139)

⇒ See supplied air respirator

EMERGENCY ESCAPE BREATHING DEVICE AND SELF-RESCUER MASK STANDARDS

  • EN 400: Emergency escape breathing device, self-contained closed-circuit breathing apparatus; compressed air escape respirator
  • EN 401: Chemical oxygen (KO2) emergency escape breathing device
  • EN 1061: Chemical oxygen (NaClO3) emergency escape breathing device

⇒ See EEBD and self-rescuer masks

ESCAPE RESPIRATOR STANDARDS

  • EN 403: Respiratory protective device for self-rescue. Filtering devices with hood for escape from fire
  • EN 404: Respiratory protective devices for self-rescue. Filter self-rescuer

⇒ See all escape respirators