The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has observed several incidences of severe thermal degradation and failure of certain older model Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) facepiece lenses. The premature degradation (i.e., holes, melting, and deformation) occurs when the equipment is exposed to typical fire environments. The concerning equipment has in common that it was approved by NIOSH and certified as meeting the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1981 standard on Open-circuit SCBA for Emergency Services (2007 edition).  NIOSH recommends that fire departments determine whether they continue to utilize the affected equipment and if so, expedite upgrade or replacement to meet the 2013 or more recent edition of the NFPA 1981 standard. One way to determine this is to review archived manufacturer literature that came with the equipment. NIOSH notes that organizations such as the Fire Safety Research Institute have shown SCBA models manufactured with more radiant heat and flame-resistant materials that are compliant with at least the 2013 edition of NFPA 1981 are more resistant to degradation.

For a copy of the NIOSH Health and Safety Advisory, visit:  https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2025-116/pdfs/2025-116.pdf