Atmosphere-Supplying Respirator No. 1: Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus

The first atmosphere-supplying respirator is the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). An SCBA is a respirator that uses its own air tank to supply clean air to the employee. (For this reason, it does not need a filter.) SCBA protect against higher concentrations of dangerous chemicals. They are often used by firefighters.

There are some disadvantages to SCBAs. They are very heavy (30 pounds or more) and require very special training on how to use and maintain them. In addition, the air tanks generally last just an hour (or less depending on the quality of the tank and the user's rate of breathing).

SCBA come in both half-mask or full-face pieces.

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