Approvals: First Level Second Level Third Level Fourth Level

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory

P.O. Box 18070

Pittsburgh, PA 15236

Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (SOP) FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TREATMENTS ON 

CLOSED-CIRCUIT ESCAPE RESPIRATORS (CCER) 

1. PURPOSE 

This procedure specifies the environmental treatments set forth in 42 CFR, Part 84, Subpart O, 

Section 84.307 for Closed-circuit Escape Respirator (CCER) submitted for Approval, Extension 

of Approval, or examined during Certified Product Audits as part of ensuring that the level of 

protection provided by capacity and performance, meet the minimum certification standards set 

forth in Section 84.304 and 84.305 of Subpart O−Closed Circuit Escape Respirators updated 

requirements to 42 CFR, Part 84, Volume 60, Number 110, June 8, 1995 as published in Federal 

Register / Vol. 77, No. 46 / Thursday, March 8, 2012 / Rules and Regulations pp. 14168-14197. 

2. GENERAL 

This document describes the process for environmental treatments including extreme 

temperatures, physical shock, and vibration of the closed-circuit escape respirator (CCER) in 

sufficient detail that a person knowledgeable in the appropriate technical field can select 

equipment with the necessary characteristics and conduct the treatments in accordance with the 

requirements of this procedure. 

3. EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS 

3.1. Treatment with extreme temperatures: 

3.1.1. Russells Technical Products Temp/Humidity Chamber, model RDV100-705 or 

equivalent 

3.1.2. Research, Inc. Micristar Controller model 828E or equivalent 

3.1.3. Envirotronics Temp/Humidity Chamber model EVH-100-2-705 S/N 04911590 

or equivalent 

3.1.4. Research, Inc. Micristar Controller model 828-E11 S/N 11522 or equivalent 

3.1.5. Honeywell Truline Chart Recorder model 910-80714 or equivalent 

3.2. Treatment with shock: 

3.2.1. Measure tape or stick with one (1.0) meter graduation or equivalent. 
Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014 Page 2 of 9

3.2.2. Bare concrete floor with no paint, tile or carpeting or equivalent. 

3.3. Treatment with vibration: 

3.3.1. Unholtz-Dickie Corp. Vibration Test System, Electrodynamic, with Accessories 

Model 289 or equivalent 

3.3.2. Spectral Dynamics Vibration Control System on Sun Sparc Station 4 model 2550 

or equivalent 

3.3.3. Ling Dynamic Systems Vibration System with components Model V-964LS or 

equivalent 

3.3.4. PCB Accelerometers model 308B or equivalent 

3.3.5. Unit attachment fixture is not necessarily a commercial item but must achieve the 

requirements given in the §4.3 of the following section. 

3.3.5.1. The fixture may use by any combination of clamping, strapping, 

shimming, etc. to achieve the requirements. 

4. REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS 

4.1. Prior to beginning any testing, all measuring equipment and instruments to be used must 

have been calibrated using a method traceable to the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST) in accordance with the manufacturer's calibration procedure and 

schedule. 

4.2. Normal laboratory safety practices must be observed. These include safety precautions 

given in the current NIOSH-Pittsburgh Health and Safety Manual, Job Hazard Analysis 

(JHA), work instruction documents and test equipment manufacturer recommended 

practices. 

4.3. Any laboratory using this procedure to supply certification test data to NPPTL will be 

subject to the provisions of the NPPTL Supplier Qualification Program (SQP). This 

program is based on the tenets of ISO/IEC 17025, the NIOSH Manual of Analytical 

Methods and other NIOSH guidelines. An initial complete quality system audit and 

follow on audits are requirements of the Program. Additional details of the Program and 

its requirements can be obtained directly from NPPTL. 

4.4. The CCER unit will be in the condition to be deployed in the field according to 

manufacturer instructions. 

4.5. The same axes (as illustrated in figure 1 below) will be used for both physical shock and 

vibration treatments. 

4.6. The procedure for vibration requires attaching the CCER unit to the table of the vibration 

test system. 
Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014 Page 3 of 9

4.6.1. The CCER must be attached to allow full transfer of the applied energy to the 

unit. The fixture results in the table and attached unit behaving as a rigid object. 

This allows the unit to vibrate at the same frequency as the table. 

4.6.2. Attachment with the fixture must not result in any damage or distortion of the 

unit. 

4.7. Timing: 

4.7.1. The elapsed time between the three procedures can be varied to accommodate 

laboratory scheduling. 

4.7.2. The elapsed time between the environmental treatments and subsequent test 

procedures can be varied to accommodate laboratory scheduling. 

4.7.3. The elapsed time between phases of a single treatment (for example storage at 

extreme temperature, and vibration along each axis) can be varied to 

accommodate laboratory scheduling. 

4.7.4. The duration times specified in table 1 for intervals 2, 4 and 6 are minimum 

values. 

5. PROCEDURES 

5.1. A minimum of four (4) units will be subjected to the environmental treatments. Each unit 

will be subjected to all treatments in the following order: Extreme temperature, physical 

shock and vibration. 

5.1.1. Initially note the presence and condition of any indicators e.g. thermal exposure, 

chemical bed physical integrity, moisture damage, etc. in the test record. 

5.1.2. Subsequently, observe the status of indicators after each phase of environmental 

treatment and note any change and when it occurred in the test record. 

5.2. Extreme temperature: 

5.2.1. The unit will initially be stored for 16 hours at a temperature of -45oC. 

5.2.2. The unit will then be stored at a temperature of 25oC for 1 hour. 

5.2.3. Then the unit will be stored for 48 hours at a temperature of 71oC. 

5.2.4. The unit will then be stored at a temperature of 25oC for 1 hour. 

5.2.5. The maximum rate of temperature change shall not exceed 3 ̊C per minute.

5.2.6. All temperatures shall be maintained within ±2 ̊C of specified value. 
Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014 Page 4 of 9

Table 1 - Summary of Conditions for Storage and Transition Intervals for Extreme Temperature 

Treatment 

Conditions

Order Temperature

(°C)

Duration

(hours)

1 25 1

2

rate of change 

≤ 3/minute ≥0.39

3 -45 16

4

rate of change 

≤ 3/minute ≥0.39

5 25 1

6

rate of change 

≤ 3/minute ≥0.25

7 71 48

8

rate of change 

≤ 3/minute ≥0.25

9 25 1

5.3. Physical shock: 

5.3.1. The CCER will be manually dropped six times from a height of 1 meter onto a 

concrete surface. 

5.3.2. Two drops will be made with the unit oriented along each major axis as shown in 

Figure 1. 

5.3.2.1. In the second drop (along a major axis) the unit will be oriented upside 

down from the orientation of the first drop. 

5.3.2.1.1. For example if the first drop along the vertical axis was with 

the side of unit on top when worn for use facing upward, the 

second drop is performed with the side of unit on top when 

worn for use facing downward. 

5.3.2.2. The 1 meter height will be from the floor to the lowest component of the 

unit in each orientation. 

5.3.2.3. The same axes are used for physical shock and vibration treatments. 
Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014 Page 5 of 9

5.4. Vibration: 

5.4.1. The unit will be vibrated one axis at a time along each of the three axes, 

longitudinal, vertical and transverse, as shown in Figure 1. 

5.4.2. The unit will first be firmly attached to the shaker table. 

5.4.3. The attached unit will then be vibrated with motion applied along a single axis. 

5.4.4. The vibration frequency regimen applied to the axis will consist of the sequence 

of elements listed in Table 2 over twenty minutes. 

5.4.5. The sequence will be continuously repeated until the total duration of vibration 

along the axis totals 180 minutes (three hours); 

5.4.6. Steps 5.4.2 through 5.4.5 will then be repeated for each of the remaining axes.

5.4.6.1. As a result, each unit will have been vibrated along the three major axes 

for a total duration of 540 minutes (nine hours). 

Table 2: Conditions for Vibration Treatment Elements 

Element Frequency

(Hertz)

Acceleration

g (± peak)

1 5 – 92 2.5

2 92 – 500 3.5

3 500 – 2000 1.5

6. PASS/FAIL CRITERIA 

6.1. None 

Figure 1. Three Major Axes of CCER unit shown with double-headed arrows

Front: side 

of unit 

away from 

user when 

worn for 

use

vertical

longitudinal

transverse

Top: side 

of unit on 

top when 

worn for 

use
Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014 Page 6 of 9

6.2. A minimum of four (4) CCER units are subjected to environmental treatments using this 

procedure. 

6.2.1. Two (2) CCERs will be tested for capacity test requirements as indicated in 42 

CFR, Part 84, Subpart O, Section 84.304(a)(2). Refer to Standard test procedure 

(STP) for capacity of as-received and environmentally treated closed-circuit 

escape respirators (CCER). 

6.2.2. The number of CCERs needed to complete two performance tests (2) will be 

tested as indicated in 84.305(a)(2) for Performance test requirements. Refer to 

Standard test procedure (STP) for performance of as-received and 

environmentally treated closed-circuit escape respirators (CCER). 
Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014 Page 7 of 9

7. RECORDS AND TEST SHEETS 

ENVIRONMENTAL TREATMENT RECORD 

General Information: 

NIOSH Application Number_____________________________________________________ 

Manufacturer _________________________________________________________________

CCER Name/Model__________________________ Serial Number ______________________ 

Date Recieved_________________________________________________________________ 

Appearance including indicators and their status and any specific physical anomalies_________ 

_____________________________________________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________________________________

Treatment dates: 

Extreme Temperatures: Start Date and Time__________; End Date and Time___________ 

Notes*_____________________________________________________________________ 

Physical Shock: Start Date and Time_____________; End Date and Time_______________ 

Indicate order of drop orientations: 

Vertical: top side up __________ top side down __________ 

Longitudinal: front side up __________ front side down __________ 

Transverse: left side up __________ left side down __________ 

Notes*_____________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

Vibration: Start Date and Time________________; End Date and Time_________________ 

Indicate order of axes vibrated: 
Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014 Page 8 of 9

Vertical __________ Longitudinal __________ Transverse __________ 

Notes*_____________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

___________________________________________________________________________ 

Signatures:

Technician_______________________________________________Date_______________ 

Supervisor_______________________________________________Date_______________ 

*Additional notes below and attach as needed. 

8. ATTACHMENTS 

None 
Procedure No. TEB-CCER-SOP-0601 Revision: 0.0 Date: 7 April 2014 Page 9 of 9

Revision History

Revision Date Reason for Revision

4.0 16 November 2011 Administrative change – Document number changed

5.0 28 March 2012 Administrative changes were made to include information from the 

release of the proposed rule.

Former document number - STP-00001-PSDB-0005

0.0 7 April 2014 New document number to reflect numbering in the approval 

library, normalization of format. Edits to sections 5.1. and 

6.2.2. clarify the fact that more than 4 samples may need to be 

conditioned depending upon the number of CCERs required to 

complete the performance test. Some additional grammatical 

changes have been made, but there are no changes to procedure 

from historical document.