North FRONTIER Series User manual

FRONTIER®Series
Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus
User’s Instructions
North Safety Products North Safety Products North Safety Products
2000 Plainfield Pike 10550 Parkway Blvd. Noordmonsterwegl
Cranston, RI 02921 Anjou, Quebec 4332 Sc Middleberg
USA Canada H1J2K4 The Netherlands
Telephone [phone] Telephone [phone] Telephone [phone]
Facsimile 800 572-6346 Facsimile 5140355-7233 Telephone [phone]
www.northsafetyproducts.com
©2006 North Safety Products Printed in U.S.A. Part No. 46001635 Rev. *
084112 Rev. A / A49222 Rev. A

CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER
1 INTRODUCTION 3
1.1 IMPORTANT INFORMATION 3
1.1.1 TERMINOLOGY 3
1.1.2 GENERAL WARNINGS 4
1.1.3 HEALTH LIMITATIONS 4
1.1.4 TRAINING PROGRAM 5
1.1.5 FIT TESTING 5
1.1.6 USER SEAL CHECKS 5
1.2 SERVICE DURATION 5
1.3 CAUTIONS AND LIMITATIONS 6
1.4 SPECIAL AND CRITICAL USERS’ INSTRUCTIONS 6
2.0 DESCRIPTION OF FRONTIER SCBA 8
2.1 FACEPIECE 8
2.2 COMPACT DEMAND VALVE (CDV) 9
2.3 FIRST STAGE PRESSURE REDUCER 9
2.4 REMOTE CYLINDER PRESSURE AND END-OF-SERVICE TIME INDICATORS 9
2.5 BACKFRAME AND HARNESS 9
2.6 CYLNDER AND VALVE ASSEMBLY 9
2.7 FRONTIER CYLINDER TABLE 10
3.0 ROUTINE CHECKS 10
3.1 UNPACKING 10
3.2 INVENTORY AND EXAMINATION 10
3.3 ROUTINE CHECKS AND INSPECTIONS 10
4.0 PUTTING ON THE RESPIRATOR AND SAFETY CHECKS 12
4.1 PUTTING ON THE RESPIRATOR 12
4.2 SAFETY CHECKS 13
5.0 DURING USE 14
5.1 NORMAL USE 14
5.1.3 INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHANGING CYLINDERS 15
5.1.4 CYLINDER BAND ADJUSTMENT 15
5.2 EMERGENCY EGRESS INDICATORS 15
6.0 AFTER USE PROCEDURES 16
6.1 REMOVING THE SCBA 16
7.0 AFTER USE CLEANING 16
7.1 CLEANING THE FACEPIECE AND HOOD 16
7.2 CLEANING THE BACKFRAME & HARNESS ASSEMBLY 17
8.0 SCBA STORAGE 18
8.1 SCBA STORAGE 18
9.0 USER MAINTENANCE 18
9.1 CYLINDER FILLING PROCEDURES 18
9.2 FACEPIECE DISASSEMBLY & REASSEMBLY 19
9.2.1 DISASSEMBLE FACEPIECE 19
9.2.2 REASEMBLE FACEPIECE 19
9.3 REPLACING FACEPIECE HEADSTRAP 20
9.4 BACKFRAME HARNESS 20
10.0 FRONTIER OPTIONS 20
10.1 AIRLINE 20
10.2 EMERGENCY AIRLINE SYSTEM (AES) 21
10.3 FIRST BREATH (CDV) 22
11.0 TROUBLE SHOOTING GUIDE 22
12.0 MAJOR COMPONENTS 22
13.0 FRONTIER WARRANTY 23
KEY TO CAUTIONS AND LIMITATIONS CONTAINED IN THE NIOSH APPROVAL
LABELS NIOSH APPROVAL LABEL.
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
These instructions are for the North Frontier Series Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, an open cir-
cuit self-contained, pressure demand, compressed air breathing apparatus. The Frontier Series was
designed to provide essential respirable air and adequate respiratory protection in both toxic and
oxygen deficient atmospheres.
The North Frontier Series respirator consists of a cylinder, backframe and harness assembly, and full
facepiece or hood.
These respirators are approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Positive pressure is maintained within the facepiece during use, thus providing the highest degree of
respiratory protection in irrespirable atmospheres by preventing any inward leakage. The Frontier
series includes SCBA units having a NIOSH 60 minute duration, units having a NIOSH 45 minute
duration, and units having a NIOSH 30 minute duration. The North Frontier Series are also certified
by NIOSH as Pressure Demand, Type C, Supplied Air Respirators when supplied with breathing air
from a remote source, and equipped with the appropriate quick-connect couplers.
1.1 IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This Users’ Instructions contains important information and must be read and understood by all per-
sons who may use or maintain this apparatus.
1.1.1 TERMINOLOGY
Warnings, cautions and notes used in these instructions have the following significance:
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Procedures and techniques which, if not carefully followed, will result in damage to the
equipment.
NOTE
CAUTION
Procedures and techniques that are considered important enough to emphasize.
Procedures and techniques which, if not carefully followed, will expose the user to the risk of
serious injury, illness or death.
WARNING

1.1.2 GENERAL WARNINGS
1.1.3 HEALTH LIMITATIONS
You should be certified medically fit prior to using this respirator. In addition there are both physiolog-
ical and psychological limitations which should be considered before using an SCBA. They include,
but are not limited to:
a. Emphysema
b. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
c. Bronchial asthma
d. X-ray evidence of pneumoconiosis
e. Evidence of reduced pulmonary function
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Improper Use of Your Respirator Can Be Harmful or Deadly!
For Your Safety, Read and Follow These Directives.
If You Do Not Understand Them—Ask Your Supervisor!
1. Failure to follow North’s instructions and warnings, may result in exposure to the hazardous
materials, exposing the user to the risk of serious injury, illness or death.
3. NEVER use your respirator:
• To perform or observe sand-blasting/abrasive-blasting;
• To fight fires;
• In temperatures below -25˚ F (-30˚ C);
• Without a fully charged cylinder;
• While working alone, except for escape;
• When the atmospheric pressure is below 450mm (17.7 in) mercury.
4. NEVER use your respirator if you cannot achieve a good facepiece-to-face seal due to:
• Facial hair;
• Eye wear that interferes with facepiece-to-face seal;
• Head or face coverings that interfere with sealing area; or
• Missing teeth, dentures, facial deformities or deep scars.
5. IMMEDIATELY leave work area and remove respirator if:
• Breathing becomes difficult;
• You become dizzy or disoriented;
• You no longer have a good facepiece-to-face seal;
• You smell, taste or otherwise sense contaminants; or
• Your respirator is damaged.
6. REMEMBER:
• Your respirator will not protect exposed areas of face or body from gases, vapors or air-
borne particles that can irritate, burn or be absorbed through your skin—wear hand and/or
body protection.
WARNING

f. Coronary artery disease
g. Severe or progressive hypertension
h. Neurological conditions
i. Anemia, pernicious
j. Diabetes, insipidus or mellitus
k. Breathing difficulty when wearing an SCBA
l. Claustrophobia or anxiety when wearing an SCBA
m. Abnormal EKG results from resting, or stress tests
n. Punctured or ruptured ear drum
o. Medications
1.1.4 TRAINING PROGRAM
These brief written instructions cannot substitute for a formal Respirator Training Program. Training
should be performed with a Safety Manager to ensure you are trained in the proper use of respira-
tors, including putting on and removing them. Your training should include an opportunity for you to
handle the respirator, learn how to inspect it, have it properly fitted, test its facepiece-to-face seal
and wear it in an area with uncontaminated air while becoming familiar with it. You must inspect the
respirator before and after each use to ensure that it is in good working condition.
Training Programs in the U.S. should be based on ANSI Z88.2-1992, OSHA Regulation 29CFR
Section 1910.134 and other regulations promulgated by various Regulatory Authorities. In Canada,
the training program should be based on CSA Standard Z94.4-93.
1.1.5 FIT TESTING
Before you are assigned a respirator with a tight fitting facepiece, you should have a qualitative or
quantitative fit test to make sure it fits correctly. Ask your supervisor about these fit tests.
The North Frontier Series is approved with North facepieces and hoods in sizes small and
medium/large. Most faces can be fit with the medium/large; however some persons with small faces
may get a better fit with the small. In addition, if your respirator has a tight fitting facepiece, you
should be fit-tested at least once a year or any time there are changes that may affect the fit of the
respirator, such as weight changes or dental surgery.
A quantitative fit test adapter (North catalog number 900099) is available for conducting fit tests.
Instructions for fit testing are given in OSHA 29 CFR §1910.134 Appendix A, and respirator manuals
published by government agencies such as NIOSH, ERDA, and NRC.
1.1.6 USER SEAL CHECKS
Each time that the respirator is put on, and before each entry into a contaminated atmosphere, the
respirator wearer should check the effectiveness of the seal of the facepiece to the wearer’s face by
carrying out a user seal check. Instructions for carrying out user seal checks on this respirator are
given in Section 4.2.1 of these User’s Instructions.
1.2 SERVICE DURATION
The Frontier has been approved as a 30 minute, 45 minute or 60 minute breathing apparatus. The
useful service duration of this, or any SCBA, will depend on the user’s varying work rate, physical
condition and other factors which could substantially shorten the actual duration of the unit.
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