Apf NPF Europe

APFs & the new ISO Standards
The way forward

MikeClayton
PPETeam,PersonalSafetyUnit,HSL
www.hsl.gov.uk
www.hsl.gov.uk
AnAn
Agency
of theof
Health
and Safety
Executive
Agency
the Health
and
Safety
Executive
Crown Copyright 2012
ISRP European Spring Meeting
Background
An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive
RPD Selection
Respiratory Protective Devices (RPD) must be
correctly selected to achieve optimum wearer
protection
RPD must be:

Suitable for environment, the
task and the wearer
Adequate for the
concentration of contaminant
Selection has been based

on Nominal Protection
Factors (NPF)
Nominal Protection Factor

NPFs are calculated from the max permitted total
inward leakage values specified in CEN standards
coutsideRPD
NPF =
cinsideRPD
Source: EN 13274-1
Are NPF appropriate for selection?
Workplace studies have shown that NPF do

not reflect the true protection achieved in the
workplace
Big difference between laboratory and workplace
conditions
Are NPF appropriate for selection?
Workplace studies have shown that NPF do

not reflect the true protection achieved in the
workplace
Big difference between laboratory and workplace
conditions
Assigned Protection Factor (APF) - better

indication of workplace performance
Assigned Protection Factor

Level of respiratory protection that can
realistically be expected to be achieved
in the workplace by 95 % of adequately
trained and supervised wearers using a
properly functioning and correctly fitted
RPD and is based on the 5th percentile
of the Workplace Protection Factor
(WPF) data
Examples of current APFs

RPD type and class
RPD class
Filtering facepiece
Filtering facepiece
Full
mask &
&P3
P3
Full face mask
Powered hood
Powered Full face mask
FFP2
FFP3
[FFM]
[FFM] P3
TH3
TM3
APF
APF
Sweden Germany
10
10
20
30
500
400
200
100
1000
500
APF
UK
10
20
40
40
40
Why the large difference?

Difference methods used to determine
the APF
Workplace data (WPF/As-Is)
Safety factors applied to NPF
Professional judgement
APF
US
10
10
50
25/1000
1000
Discordant APFs
Why is the discord between APFs a problem?
Confusing for multi-national companies

different control measures in different countries
Unnecessarily complex RPD programmes

more expensive, difficult operational challenges
Are high APFs putting the wearer at risk?
Lack of harmonisation
CEN/ISO harmonised performance requirements
ISO RPD Standards
ISO RPD Selection
NPF not applicable to the workplace

Can we use APFs?
Vast difference across the globe
Some countries dont have any APFs
Currently no global harmonisation
Protection Levels
(PL)
A means of ranking the RPD performance

based on lab tests
CEN Classification Scheme

BS CBRN
EN149 Filtering facepieces

EN12942 Power assisted devices
BS CBRN
ISO Classification Scheme

ISO Classification is not
defined by the type of RPD
So any performance possible
Derivation of ISO Protection Levels

ISO
%TIL
NPF
(Max)
0.001
100,000
0.01
10,000
0.1
1,000
100
20
20
Current
APFs
Any relationship
between
NPF and APF?
Consider
difference
between lab and
the workplace
(CEN & OSHA)
40 10,000
20
1000
20 - 100
10 - 15
4
Derivation of ISO Protection Levels

ISO
%TIL
NPF
Safety
Factor
Protection
Level
(Max)
Protection
Level
Current
APFs
Class
(CEN & OSHA)
0.001
100,000
10
10000
PL6
0.01
10,000
2000
PL5
40 10,000
0.1
1,000
250
PL4
20
1000
100
3.33
30
PL3
20 - 100
20
10
PL2
10 - 15
20
1.25
PL1
European APFs and ISO PLs

ISO
TIL %
20
Current CEN
Type/Class
TIL %
FFP1
22
HM P1
2 + 20
FM P1
0.05 + 20
FFP2
8
HM P2
2+ 6
FM P2
0.05 + 6
TH1
10
TM1
FFP3
HMP3
TH2
TM2
TH3
0.1
FM P3
TM3
BA (+ve)
APF
CEN range
4
4
4
10
10
10/15
5/10
ISO
PL
5
2
2 + 0.05
2
10
20/30
20/30
20
10
0.5
0.2
20/100
40/200
30
0.05 + 0.05
0.05
0.05
40/500
40/1000
1000/2000
250
Why go back to NPF (TIL)?

No link with performance and RPD type
TIL is the only RPD performance
measure in common
ISO TIL test is much more robust
25 test subject instead of 10
9 test exercises instead of 5
PL class determined from the TIL result
Protection Levels
Derivation of PLs has not taken into
account RPD design this may be

necessary
PLs need to be validated
Note added to the CD: These protection levels have been

derived from analysis of previous assigned protection
factors, their associated nominal protection factors (NPF)
and expert knowledge of differences between laboratory
and workplace protection performance of current products.
The values will be validated when RPD conforming to the
requirements of ISO 17420 are available
How can the PLs be validated?

The way ahead
PL Validation
Options:
Do nothing!!
No validation, members countries use their
own values APF, NPF, safety factors, etc?
Do something!!
What can we do NOW?
What can we do in the future?
Validation - what can we do now?
Identify WPF data for current RPD

Perform ISO TIL on that RPD
Compare WPF data with ISO TIL & PL
data
Problems
Lack of suitable WPF data
Challenge
Laboratories to offer to conduct TIL tests
Validation - what can we do in the future?
Workplace protection factor studies
Challenge
To obtain statistically valid WPF data is both
economically and operationally challenging
Agreed WPF protocol, measurement techniques,
etc.
Requires input and support from the whole

RPD community
Users, manufacturers, national standard bodies,
regulators, etc.
Conclusion
Lack of harmonised APFs
New performance requirements under
ISO, but we also need to improved RPD

selection
Not only ISO, ISRP can take a large role
Use the opportunity
WPF are expensive but can we afford
to do nothing?
Questions?
Contact
Mike Clayton
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0)1298 218332
Enabling a better working Britain for over 100 years
www.hsl.gov.uk

Apf NPF Europe

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Apf NPF Europe

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Apf NPF Europe

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

APFs & the new ISO Standards

The way forward

Crown Copyright 2012

ISRP European Spring Meeting

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

RPD must be:

Selection has been based

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

Nominal Protection Factor

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

Are NPF appropriate for selection?

Workplace studies have shown that NPF do

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

Are NPF appropriate for selection?

Workplace studies have shown that NPF do

Assigned Protection Factor (APF) - better

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

Assigned Protection Factor

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

Examples of current APFs

Why the large difference?

Confusing for multi-national companies

Unnecessarily complex RPD programmes

Are high APFs putting the wearer at risk?

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

ISO RPD Standards

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

ISO RPD Selection

NPF not applicable to the workplace

A means of ranking the RPD performance

CEN Classification Scheme

EN149 Filtering facepieces

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

ISO Classification Scheme

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

Derivation of ISO Protection Levels

(CEN & OSHA)

Derivation of ISO Protection Levels

(CEN & OSHA)

European APFs and ISO PLs

Why go back to NPF (TIL)?

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

account RPD design this may be

Note added to the CD: These protection levels have been

How can the PLs be validated?

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

Validation - what can we do now?

Identify WPF data for current RPD

Validation - what can we do in the future?

Workplace protection factor studies

Requires input and support from the whole

ISO, but we also need to improved RPD

An Agency of the Health and Safety Executive

Enabling a better working Britain for over 100 years

You might also like