[Federal Register: June 20, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 117)]
[Notices]
[Page 35445-35446]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20jn05-53]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Name: Discussion of Concepts for Standards for Approval of
Respirators for Use against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and
Nuclear Agents (CBRN) and Guidelines for their Use; and Concepts for
Standards for a Multi-Function Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR).
Dates and Times: July 19, 2005; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 20, 2005; 8:30
a.m.-3 p.m.
The Meeting on July 19 will address concepts for standards for CBRN
Closed Circuit, Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and
guidelines for use of NIOSH approved CBRN respirators. The Meeting on
July 20 will address concepts for standards for a CBRN Powered Air
Purifying Respirator and a Multi-Function PAPR.
Place: Holiday Inn Select Pittsburgh South, 164 Fort Couch Road,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Purpose: NIOSH will continue discussions of concepts for standards
and testing processes for PAPR and Closed Circuit, SCBA suitable for
respiratory protection against CBRN agents. NIOSH will also introduce
concepts for establishing multi-function PAPR requirements and
guidelines for use of NIOSH-approved CBRN respirators. NIOSH, along
with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command
(RDECOM) and the National Institute for Standards and Technology
(NIST), will present information to attendees concerning the concept
development for the CBRN PAPR standard and the CBRN Closed Circuit,
SCBA standard. Participants will be given an opportunity to ask
questions on these topics and to present individual comments for
consideration. Interested participants may obtain a copy of the CBRN
PAPR, the Multi-Function PAPR concept paper, the CBRN Closed Circuit,
Self Contained Breathing Apparatus concept paper, and concepts for the
guidance documents, as well as earlier versions of other concept papers
used during the standard development effort, from the NIOSH National
Personnel Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) web site, address:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl. The June 20, 2005, concept papers will
be used as the basis for discussion at the public meeting. Municipal,
state, and federal responder groups, particularly in locations
considered potential terrorism targets, have been developing and
modifying response and consequence management plans for domestic
security and preparedness issues. Since the World Trade Center and
anthrax incidents, most emergency response agencies have operated with
a heightened appreciation of the potential scope and sustained resource
requirements for coping with such events. The federal Interagency Board
for Equipment Standardization and Interoperability (IAB) has worked to
identify personal protective equipment that is already available on the
market for responders' use. The IAB has identified the development of
standards or guidelines for respiratory protection equipment as a top
priority. NIOSH, NIST, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA),
and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have entered into
a Memorandum of Understanding defining each agency or organization's
role in developing, establishing, and enforcing standards or guidelines
for responders' respiratory protective devices. NIST has initiated
Interagency Agreements with NIOSH and RDECOM to aid in the development
of appropriate protection standards or guidelines. NIOSH has the lead
in developing standards or guidelines to test, evaluate, and approve
respirators. NIOSH, RDECOM, and NIST hosted public meetings on April 17
and 18, 2001; June 18 and 19, 2002; October 16 and 17, 2002; April 29,
2003; June 25, 2003; October 16, 2003; May 4, 2004; and December 15,
2004; presenting their progress in assessing respiratory protection
needs of responders to CBRN incidents. The methods or models for
developing hazard and exposure estimates and the status in evaluating
test methods and performance standards that may be applicable as future
CBRN respirator standards or guidelines were discussed at these
meetings. Three NIOSH CBRN respirator standards and several NFPA
standards for ensembles, SCBA, and protective clothing were the first
adopted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). On February
26, 2004, DHS adopted, as DHS standards, three NIOSH criteria for
testing and certifying respirators for protection against CBRN
exposures. NIOSH uses the criteria to test (1) SCBA for use by
emergency responders against CBRN, (2) PAPR for use by emergency
responders against CBRN exposures, and (3) escape respirators for
protection against CBRN.
Status: This meeting is hosted by NIOSH and will be open to the
public,
[[Page 35446]]
limited only by the space available. The meeting room will accommodate
approximately 150 people. Interested parties should make hotel
reservations directly with the Holiday Inn Select Pittsburgh South
(412-833-5300 or 1-800-HOLIDAY) before the cut-off date of June 27,
2005. A special group rate of $94 per night for meeting guests has been
negotiated for this meeting. The NIOSH/NPPTL Public Meeting must be
referenced to receive this rate. Interested parties should confirm
their attendance to this meeting by completing a registration form and
forwarding it by e-mail (npptlevents@cdc.gov) or fax (304-225-2003) to
the NPPTL Event Management Office. A registration form may be obtained
from the NIOSH Homepage (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh) by selecting
conferences and then the event.
An opportunity to make presentations regarding the discussions of
concepts for standards and testing processes for PAPR standards and for
Closed Circuit, SCBA Breathing Apparatus standards suitable for
respiratory protection against CBRN agents, multi-function PAPRs for
industrial applications, and guidelines for use of NIOSH-approved CBRN
respirators will be given. Requests to make such presentations at the
public meeting should be made by e-mail to the NPPTL Event Management
Office (npptlevents@cdc.gov). All requests to present should include
the name, address, telephone number, relevant business affiliations of
the presenter, a brief summary of the presentation, and the approximate
time requested for the presentation. Oral presentations should be
limited to 15 minutes. After reviewing the requests for presentation,
NPPTL Event Management will notify each presenter of the approximate
time that their presentation is scheduled to begin. If a participant is
not present when their presentation is scheduled to begin, the
remaining participants will be heard in order. At the conclusion of the
meeting, an attempt will be made to allow presentations by any
scheduled participants who missed their assigned times. Attendees who
wish to speak but did not submit a request for the opportunity to make
a presentation may be given this opportunity at the conclusion of the
meeting, at the discretion of the presiding officer.
Comments on the topics presented in this notice and at the meeting
should be mailed to: NIOSH Docket Office, Robert
A. Taft Laboratories, M/S C34, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati,
Ohio 45226, Telephone 513-533-8303, Fax 513-533-8285. Comments may also
be submitted by e-mail to niocindocket@cdc.gov. E-mail attachments
should be formatted in Microsoft Word. Comments should be submitted to
NIOSH no later than August 19, 2005. Comments regarding the Multi-
Function PAPR should reference Docket Number NIOSH-008 in the subject
heading. Comments regarding CBRN PAPR should reference Docket Number
NIOSH-010 in the subject heading. Comments regarding the CBRN Closed
Circuit, SCBA should reference Docket Number NIOSH-039.
Contact for Additional Information: NPPTL Event Management, 3604
Collins Ferry Road, Suite 100, Morgantown, West Virginia 26505-2353,
Telephone 304-599-5941 x138, Fax 304-225-2003, E-mail
npptlevents@cdc.gov.
The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been
delegated the authority to sign Federal Register Notices pertaining to
announcements of meetings and other committee management activities,
for both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Dated: June 14, 2005.
Alvin Hall,
Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 05-12057 Filed 6-17-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-19-P