Protecting People and the EnvironmentUNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
SSINS No.: 6835
IN 85-48
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
June 19, 1985
Information Notice No. 85-48: RESPIRATOR USERS NOTICE: DEFECTIVE SELF-
CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS AIR
CYLINDERS
Addressees:
All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL) or a
construction permit (CP), research and test reactor licensees, fuel cycle
licensees, and Priority l material licensees.
Purpose:
This information notice is to alert licensees of two recent "Respirator
Users Notices" issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
concerning a serious defect in self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
This updates information previously provided in Information Notice 84-34. It
is expected that licensees will review the information for applicability to
their facilities and consider actions, if appropriate, to preclude use of a
potentially defective respirator. However, suggestions contained in this
notice do not constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or
response is required.
Description of Circumstances:
Information Notice 84-34, issued on April 23, 1984, discussed a serious
safety defect in SCBA hoop-wrapped aluminum air cylinders rated at 4500 psi
and manufactured under the Department of Transportation (DOT) Exemption
DOT-E-7235. Appropriate warning notices from DOT, HHS, Scott Aviation and
Survivair were included.
On November 20, 1984, HHS issued a Respirator Users Notice announcing the
recall of a product manufactured by Luxfer USA, Ltd. (Attachment 1). On May
7, 1985, HHS issued another Respirator Users Notice on the same subject
which also described a reported explosion (Attachment 2).
Evidently not all end-users of the affected Luxfer SCBA cylinders have
responded to the manufacturer's product recall. The reported catastrophic
cylinder failures have demonstrated an extreme personnel hazard. In the
interest of safety for workers, licensees may wish to share this information
with other potential users, such as local fire departments, along with
checking their own cylinders.
8506140636
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IN 85-48
June 19, 1985
Page 2 of 2
No specific action or written response is required by this information
notice. If you have any questions about this matter, please contact Luxfer
USA, Ltd. or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate NRC regional
office or this office.
Edward L. Jordan, Director
Division of Emergency Preparedness
and Engineering Response
Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Technical Contacts: J. E. Wigginton, IE
(301) 492-4967
R. L. Pedersen, IE
(301) 492-9475
Attachments:
1. Respirator Users Notice (November 20, 1984)
2. Respirator Users Notice (May 7, 1985)
3. List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices