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The history of emergency escape breathing apparatus as a separate defined item of equipment goes back well over 100 years, with the principal areas of use originally being naval and mines working. More recently, it has been recognised that there are many different work circumstances in which the use of such equipment is essential. But, warns Frank Hallett, employers need to fully understand the nature of confined space working, and the specifics of the tasks to be carried out, in order to select the right equipment for the risks posed.
Emergency life-saving apparatus (ELSA) is designed and provided on the basis that the atmosphere can generally be maintained at an acceptably safe level for the work to proceed, without the need for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) or air-line, but that some clearly foreseeable circumstances are recognised as having the ability to change the atmosphere and raise the level of exposure risk to an unacceptable level. All ELSA equipment is designed for one function: to ensure that a person exposed to a sudden, or transient hazardous respiratory environment is effectively protected while they make their way to a place of safety.
Obviously, consideration must be given to the type of work, the working environment and circumstances of use before actually providing the equipment. As the circumstances and criteria affecting good selection vary so much from industry to industry, and activity to activity within each industry, a blanket imposition of any one type or style of ELSA should be thought through very carefully before implementation, as there is a wide range of circumstances that could change the functional need for the ELSA.
Types of ELSA
Essentially, there are two types of ELSA: those that supply compressed air from an integral reservoir and those that supply chemically-generated oxygen from an integral generator. Currently, an ELSA will be designed to provide up to 15 minutes of breathable air or oxygen, the most common period being 10 minutes. There is no specific legislation that defines 15 minutes as a maximum duration for an ELSA but the standard SCBA set will provide longer durations and can be used either as a working set, or as an ELSA, as required. If used as an ELSA, the same selection and use...