J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air

Law. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, ss. 7-3 to 7-5 and 3-3 (The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 [SK], 2021, ss. 3-3, 7-3, 7-4, 7-5); Approved Standards and Practices for Part 7 (Government of Saskatchewan, n.d.-a).

What must be covered.

• Program content in the regulation. An approved respirator of the proper size and seal, “fit-tested by a competent person in an approved manner”; training with practical experience; a check before each use; and an assessment “according to an approved standard as being capable of wearing” a respirator (s. 7-3(1)-(2)).
• CSA Z94.4 edition. The approved list names CAN/CSA Z94.4-18 (R2023) for selection, fit testing, cleaning and the capability assessment (Government of Saskatchewan, n.d.-a).
• Fit test. The regulation sets no interval or method; under Z94.4-18 the test is repeated at least every two years and may be qualitative or quantitative (standard; confirm against the standard text).
• Breathing air. The regulation still cites Table 2 of CAN Z180.1-M85 (s. 7-5(3)), while the approved list names CSA Z180.1:19; no test interval is set in the regulation.
• Emergency-use respirators are inspected by a competent person at least monthly and after each use, with the date and inspector displayed at the storage location (s. 7-4), and users of emergency-only respirators get refresher training every six months (s. 7-3(4)).
• Records. Fit tests, assessments and training are kept for as long as the worker is employed and are open to the committee, without personal health information unless the worker consents (s. 7-3(5)-(8)).

Fire-service nuance.

• No one under 18 may be employed in an activity requiring an atmosphere-supplying respirator (s. 3-3(2)(e)), which matters for junior firefighter and cadet programs.
• The semi-annual refresher applies where respirators are used only for emergencies; SCBA in a fire department is that case for many members.
• Which breathing air edition governs, the regulation’s 1985 table or the approved list’s 2019 edition, is unresolved; test to Z180.1:19, which is stricter.
• The respirator rules apply to paid firefighters as workers; unpaid volunteers are workers only for harassment and violence duties, so the program for them is a policy choice; see J11 Volunteer Firefighters.

Status. Partly verified: regulation and approved list read on 2026-10-23. The two-year interval comes from the standard, which was not read.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, Part 8 (ss. 8.32 to 8.45) and Part 31 (ss. 31.19 to 31.26) (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation [BC], 2026, ss. 8.32-8.45, 31.19-31.26).

What must be covered.

• CSA Z94.4 edition. Since 2026-04-01, CAN/CSA-Z94.4-18 governs selection (s. 8.33(1)), user seal checks (s. 8.41), cylinder inspection and SCBA maintenance records (ss. 8.44(c), 8.45(1), 31.26(2), (4)); the fit-test procedure still cites CAN/CSA-Z94.4-02 (ss. 8.40(2), 31.22(2)), and firefighters use SCBA in accordance with clause 9.1 of Z94.4-02 (s. 31.21).
• Fit test. Before initial use, at least once a year, on any change of facepiece (brand, model or size), and on physical changes that could affect the seal (ss. 8.40(2.1), 31.22(2.1)). The regulation does not choose qualitative or quantitative; the method follows Z94.4-02.
• Facial hair. Clean shaven where the facepiece seals (ss. 8.39(2), 31.22(1)).
• Medical. A physician’s examination where “there is doubt about the worker’s ability to use a respirator for medical reasons” (s. 8.42); for firefighters, a physician’s certificate of fitness to use SCBA where the firefighter has had breathing difficulty, or has known heart disease, impaired pulmonary function or another limiting condition (s. 31.20).
• Program. A written PPE program where PPE protects against chemical exposure or an oxygen-deficient atmosphere (s. 8.5); the program is reviewed annually with the committee or representative, and for respirators the review must ensure the adequacy of the fit test program (s. 8.6(1), (2)(d)).
• Breathing air. CAN/CSA-Z180.1-00, tested at least annually (ss. 8.37(1), 31.24(2)); SCBA cylinders unused for more than a year are depressurized and refilled (s. 8.37(2)).
• Cylinders and servicing. Servicing by qualified persons; cylinder inspection to Z94.4-18; hydrostatic testing to CAN/CSA-B339-96; maintenance records to Z94.4-18 clause 14.6.2(b)-(f) (s. 31.26, amended effective 2026-04-01). WorkSafeBC’s guideline applies a 15-year life to composite cylinders, following Z94.4-18 (WorkSafeBC, n.d., G31.26).
• Spare equipment. When SCBA are used, at least four sets are available, with a spare 30-minute cylinder at full capacity for each (s. 31.25).
• Records. Fit tests and SCBA maintenance are recorded (s. 8.44); equipment inspection and maintenance records are kept for the service life (s. 4.9(3)).

Fire-service nuance.

• British Columbia is one of two jurisdictions with an annual fit test in the regulation, and it applies to volunteer and paid-on-call firefighters as workers.
• The mix of editions is deliberate but confusing: build the program to Z94.4-18 and run the fit test to the Z94.4-02 procedure until the regulation changes.
• An amendment to the Part 8 face-seal provisions was reported for 2026-11-06.
• Only Yukon matches British Columbia’s minimum of four SCBA and a spare cylinder for each; see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-24 (regulation current to 2026-10-20). The reported 2026-11-06 amendment was not confirmed.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Code, Part 18 (ss. 244 to 255) (Occupational Health and Safety Code [AB], 2025, ss. 244-255). Official guidance: Respiratory protective equipment (Government of Alberta, 2020).

What must be covered.

• Program. A code of practice governing respiratory protective equipment wherever respirators are used (s. 245(1)).
• CSA Z94.4 edition. Selection and fit testing to CSA Z94.4-02, the 2002 edition (ss. 247, 250(1)).
• Fit test. The Code sets no interval. The official guide reads Z94.4-02 as requiring a test at first issue, at least every two years, on a change of respirator type, style, brand or size, and on a change in the wearer’s physical condition, by a qualitative or quantitative method (Government of Alberta, 2020).
• Facial hair. Clean shaven where the facepiece seals (s. 250(2)).
• Breathing air. Must meet Table 1 of CSA Z180.1-00 (R2005), with no other substance above 10 per cent of its exposure limit (s. 249). The Code sets no test interval; the guide says the standard calls for sampling at least every six months (Government of Alberta, 2020).
• Inspection. Respirators kept for emergency use are inspected at least monthly (s. 248(2)).
• Medical. None in the Code; the guide recommends the health screening in Appendix E of Z94.4-02, with the employer setting its frequency (Government of Alberta, 2020).

Fire-service nuance.

• Annual respirator training is required only for health care workers exposed to airborne biohazards (s. 245(2)); a department running ambulance service should check whether this reaches its medics.
• The 2002 edition is old; a department may follow Z94.4-18 because it gives at least equal protection, but should record that it meets every Z94.4-02 requirement the Code cites.
• The Code’s third review group (2025-2026) includes how technical standards are referenced, so the edition may change.
• Volunteers are workers under the Act; the program applies to them; see J11 Volunteer Firefighters.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (Code consolidated to 2025-03-31; guide read). Intervals from the guide are the regulator’s reading of the standard, not the Code.

Law. Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, ss. 6.15, 6.15.1, 6.16 and 1.3 (Workplace Safety and Health Regulation [MB], 2026, ss. 1.3, 6.15-6.16).

What must be covered.

• CSA Z94.4 edition. Respirators are selected, used and maintained in accordance with CAN/CSA-Z94.4-11 (s. 6.15(1)); work may follow the cited edition or any more recent one (s. 1.3(2)-(2.1)), so Z94.4-18 may be used.
• Training and checks. Workers are trained by a competent person in fit, testing, maintenance, use, cleaning and limitations, and inspect and test the respirator before each use (s. 6.15(2)).
• Fit test. The regulation sets no interval or method; under Z94.4 the test is repeated at least every two years and on a change of facepiece or physical condition.
• Breathing air. Purity to CAN/CSA-Z180.1-13 for atmosphere-supplying respirators (s. 6.15.1); the regulation sets no test interval.
• SCBA. Open-circuit, pressure-demand or positive-pressure, rated for at least 30 minutes, for any IDLH entry (s. 6.16(1)(a)).
• Medical. No requirement in the regulation; the health screening in Z94.4 applies through s. 6.15(1).

Fire-service nuance.

• Failure of an atmosphere-supplying respirator is a serious incident that must be reported immediately, with the scene kept for 24 hours (s. 2.6(c)(iv)); build a quarantine-and-report step into the SCBA program; see J08 Incident Reporting and Investigation.
• Records the regulation requires are kept at least five years by default (s. 2.10).
• Volunteers are treated as workers under the Act’s definition (interpretation); see J11 Volunteer Firefighters.

Status. Partly verified: regulation read on 2026-10-23 (current to 2026-10-20). Intervals and medical screening from the standard were not read.

Law. Reg. 833, Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents, ss. 1, 9 to 13 (Control of Exposure to Biological or Chemical Agents [ON], 2026, ss. 1, 9-13). Guidance: Section 21 guidance note 4-9, revised 2026-08-12 (MLITSD, n.d., GN 4-9).

What must be covered.

• Program. Written measures and procedures for selecting, caring for and using respirators, including inspection and maintenance, proper fitting, and cleaning and disinfecting, with training before first use (s. 9).
• Approval. Respirators approved by NIOSH or CSA (or an equivalent agency on a qualified person’s opinion) and meeting the assigned protection factors in Schedule 2 (s. 10(1)).
• Fit test. Every tight-fitting respirator is fit tested by a qualitative method in Annex B or a quantitative method in Annex C of CAN/CSA-Z94.4-18 (ss. 1, 12(1)); positive and negative pressure user seal checks before every use of a tight-fitting elastomeric respirator (s. 12(2)). Reg. 833 sets no interval.
• Facial hair. A tight-fitting respirator may not be provided to or used by a worker with facial hair between the seal and the face (s. 12(3)).
• Breathing air. Table 1 of CAN/CSA-Z180.1-13 (R2018); where a compressor operating above 103.4 kPa supplies the air, the air is tested at least once every six months; intakes are located to the standard; an oil-lubricated compressor needs a continuous carbon monoxide monitor alarming at 5 ppm (s. 10(5)).
• Medical. No medical evaluation is prescribed; a worker may not be assigned to work requiring a respirator unless physically able to do it while wearing one (s. 11(2)).
• Guidance. GN 4-9 recommends fit testing “for all respirators every 2 years” per CSA Z94.4, quantitative fit testing for SCBA, and cites NFPA 1970 and CSA Z180.1 (MLITSD, n.d., GN 4-9).

Fire-service nuance.

• Annual SCBA fit testing is NFPA practice, not Ontario law; present it in the program as a department standard above the two-year floor (NFPA 1550, 2024).
• GN 1-9 expects cylinders to be visually inspected before they are filled and after every use, and emptied and refilled when unused for 12 months; it names CSA Z180.1 for air purity and CSA B340 for cylinder handling and filling (MLITSD, n.d., GN 1-9).
• Reg. 833 was amended in 2026 (O. Reg. 113/26); recheck the consolidation at each review.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-24 (e-Laws current to 2026-10-20; GN 4-9 and GN 1-9 read).

Law. Regulation respecting occupational health and safety, ss. 45, 45.1, 46 and 48 (Regulation respecting occupational health and safety [QC], 2026, ss. 45-48).

What must be covered.

• When required. Respirators are provided while exposure limits cannot be met, while controls are being put in place, and in emergencies (s. 45).
• Program and CSA Z94.4 edition. Every respirator must be certified by NIOSH or CSA, and the employer must draft and apply a respiratory protection program “in compliance with CAN/CSA Standard Z94.4-11, Selection, Use and Care of Respirators, as published in September 2016” (s. 45.1, amended by O.C. 280-2024).
• Fit test. The regulation sets no interval or method; they follow the Z94.4-11 program, under which the test is repeated at least every two years.
• SCBA restriction. No self-contained or air-supplied apparatus with an automatic device that interrupts or restricts the air supply to the facepiece (s. 46).
• Breathing air. Compressed breathing air for SCBA and supplied-air respirators must comply with CSA Z180.1 (no edition stated); samples are analyzed at least every six months, except for ambient air systems; supply systems are maintained to the manufacturer’s instructions, with the date and the person who did the maintenance recorded in a register kept at least five years (s. 48, amended by O.C. 647-2025).
• Medical. Not prescribed in the regulation; Z94.4 health screening applies through the program.

Fire-service nuance.

• The municipal-sector association publishes a respiratory protection program guide and a fit-test aide-mémoire for fire services (Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail du secteur affaires municipales [APSAM], n.d.), and the ministry’s vehicles and accessories guide covers SCBA maintenance and annual tests (Ministère de la Sécurité publique, 2026).
• The program is part of the employer’s prevention program under the 2025 participation regulation; see J03 OHS Policy and Program.

Status. Partly verified: regulation read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2026-07-01). Fit-test interval and medical screening come from the standard, which was not read.

Law. General Regulation 91-191, ss. 45, 47 and 51.6 (General Regulation: Occupational Health and Safety Act [NB], 2026, ss. 45, 47, 51.6).

What must be covered.

• Code of practice. Where respirators are required, the employer establishes a respiratory protective equipment code of practice naming the person responsible and describing the equipment, the hazards, selection, care, use, maintenance and fitting, training, record keeping, and how often the code is reviewed (s. 45(1)-(1.1)), developed with the committee or representative and implemented and followed (s. 45(4), (6)-(7)).
• CSA Z94.4 edition. CSA Z94.4-11 (R2016), “or a standard offering equivalent or better protection” (s. 45(2)); for firefighters, Z94.4-11 (R2016) governs training and the use, maintenance and testing of respirators (s. 51.6(5)).
• Fit test. No interval in the regulation; under Z94.4-11 at least every two years.
• Facial hair. Users are as clean shaven as necessary where a tight fit is essential (s. 47).
• Breathing air. Air for firefighters’ SCBA meets or exceeds CAN3-Z180.1-M85 (s. 51.6(3)); no test interval is set.
• Medical. None in the regulation; Z94.4 user screening applies through adoption.

Fire-service nuance.

• The 1985 breathing air edition is far behind current practice; test to CSA Z180.1:19 and record that it exceeds the regulation.
• The respiratory code of practice duty was strengthened by the 2024 amendments (NB Reg 2024-38); a department that wrote its program earlier should check it against s. 45(1.1).

Status. Partly verified: regulation read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2026-06-30). Interval and screening from the standard.

Law. Occupational Safety General Regulations, ss. 6, 13 and 196 (Occupational Safety General Regulations [NS], 2025, ss. 6, 13, 196).

What must be covered.

• Program and CSA Z94.4 edition. An adequate respirator appropriate to the hazard; selection, use, care, maintenance, testing and training to the latest version of CSA Z94.4 (s. 13(1), (3)), which was CAN/CSA-Z94.4-18 (R2023) at the research date.
• Fit test. Every SCBA user is fit tested quantitatively at least once a year (s. 196); other tight-fitting respirators follow Z94.4’s maximum of two years.
• Breathing air. The latest version of CSA Z180.1, still cited as CAN3-Z180.1 (s. 13(2)); CSA Z180.1:19 at the research date. The regulation sets no interval; the standard’s six-month interval applies (standard).
• Medical. No separate rule; the health screening in Z94.4 applies through s. 13(3).
• Latest editions. Standards are read in their latest version; for the first three calendar months after a new edition is issued, counting the month of issue, compliance with either edition is accepted (s. 6(5)).

Fire-service nuance.

• Nova Scotia is the only jurisdiction found that requires a quantitative SCBA fit test in law; qualitative testing of SCBA users is a common audit finding.
• The annual test applies to every SCBA user, volunteers included.
• Every CSA standard the regulations name can be read free through the CSA OHS view access service the province provides.

Status. Verified against the Registry of Regulations consolidation (amended to N.S. Reg. 53/2013) on 2026-10-24 (ss. 6, 13 and 196 read).

Law. General Regulations, ss. 45.17 to 45.20 (Occupational Health and Safety Act General Regulations [PE], 2025, ss. 45.17-45.20).

What must be covered.

• When required. Approved respirators where eliminating the hazard is not reasonably practicable or exposure “results from temporary or emergency conditions only” (s. 45.17).
• CSA Z94.4 edition. Selection, use and care to CSA Z94.4-18; filtering respirators to CSA Z94.4.1:21 (s. 45.18(1), (3)).
• Breathing air. CSA Z180.1-19 (s. 45.18(2)); no interval in the regulation (standard).
• Facial hair. Clean shaven where the respirator seals (s. 45.19).
• Fit test and medical. Not stated in the regulation; they come from Z94.4-18 (before use, at least every two years, with health screening).
• Rescue. Rescue-trained workers immediately available where workers are in harmful atmospheres (s. 45.20(2)); see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.

Fire-service nuance.

• The board’s online legislation guide says a written respirator program “must be developed, implemented, and followed” when respirators are used.
• The 2024 amendment that brought in the current editions (EC600/24) had no confirmed in-force date at the research date.

Status. Partly verified: regulations read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2025-01-01). Fit-test interval and medical screening from the standard.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012, ss. 2(2), 70, 83 to 86, as amended by N.L.R. 48/26 (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012 [NL], 2026, ss. 2(2), 70, 83-86). Guidance: SCBA guidance document (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2014).

What must be covered.

• Program. A written respiratory protection program “where required”, in accordance with CSA Z94.4 (s. 83); a reference to a code means the most current code (s. 2(2)).
• Fit test. Defined as a “quantitative or qualitative test performed in accordance with procedures in CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.4” (s. 70(a), as replaced by NLR 48/26), required for every tight-fitting respirator; a user seal check “before each use” (s. 85(7)). The retest interval is not stated and defaults to Z94.4 (standard).
• Equipment. NIOSH-certified, or meeting CSA Z94.4.1 (s. 85(2)).
• Facial hair. No tight-fitting facepiece where facial hair or a condition interferes with the seal (s. 85(5)).
• Breathing air. “CSA Code Z180.1 Compressed Breathing Air and Systems” (s. 84(3)), most current edition; no interval in the regulation.
• Inspection. Emergency-use respirators inspected at least monthly and before and after each use (s. 86(3)(b)).
• Medical. None in the regulation; left to the Z94.4 program.
• Provincial guidance. In-service SCBA inspected at intervals of no more than one week, an annual functional flow test, compressor air tested every six months to Z180.1, a Class 2 fill station recommended, and fit testing fully supported (Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, 2014).

Fire-service nuance.

• NLR 48/26 (filed 2026-09-24) replaced ss. 70, 71 and 81 and amended s. 85; check any program written before October 2026 against the new wording.
• The 2014 guidance gives a three-year hydrostatic interval and 15-year retirement for composite cylinders; the interval for a given cylinder is set by its Transport Canada specification or permit (see Federal).

Status. Partly verified: regulations read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to NLR 48/26). Interval from the standard.

Law. Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, Part 1 (ss. 1.26 to 1.33) and Part 11 (ss. 11.10 to 11.15) (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [YT], 2022, ss. 1.26-1.33, 11.10-11.15).

What must be covered.

• CSA Z94.4 edition. Respirators are selected in accordance with CSA Z94.4-02 or a similar acceptable standard (s. 1.27(b)); this is a dated edition outside the “current edition” rule in Part 11.
• Fit test. “Fit tests and fit checks shall be carried out on workers as required”, with records kept (s. 1.33); no interval or method is stated. Firefighters are fit tested to NFPA 1981 (current edition) while wearing the protective equipment normally worn with SCBA (s. 11.12(3)-(4)).
• Facial hair and eyewear. Clean shaven (ss. 1.32, 11.12); only SCBA-compatible corrective eyewear (ss. 1.31, 11.12).
• Breathing air. CSA Z180.1-00, tested at least annually (ss. 1.30, 11.15).
• Medical. A physician’s certificate of fitness to use SCBA only after breathing difficulty, or with heart disease, impaired pulmonary function or another limiting condition (s. 11.11).
• SCBA servicing. By qualified persons; cylinder inspection to NFPA 1981; hydrostatic testing to CSA B339-02; maintenance and repair records kept to NFPA 1981 (s. 11.14); at least four SCBA on site and a spare 30-minute cylinder for each (s. 11.13).

Fire-service nuance.

• NFPA 1981 has been consolidated into NFPA 1970 (2025), and SCBA care now sits in NFPA 1850; confirm with the board which documents satisfy the “current edition” references (NFPA 1970, 2025; NFPA 1850, 2026).
• With no fixed interval, the department should set one; annual is the NFPA norm for SCBA users.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (Part 1 and Part 11 renderings read; Part 11 consolidation current to 2022-09-30).

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 91 to 93 (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NT], 2024, ss. 91-93); Code of Practice: Firefighters (Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission [WSCC], 2017).

What must be covered.

• Program elements in the regulation. Devices must be approved and fitted, and “fit-tested by a competent individual in an approved manner” where a tight fit is essential (s. 91(1)(a)(iv)); the worker is “assessed according to an approved standard as being capable of wearing” the device (s. 91(2)(d)); training includes practical experience and a test before each use (s. 91).
• CSA Z94.4 edition. Not named; “approved” means approved by an agency acceptable to the Chief Safety Officer, by a certificate of the Chief Safety Officer, or in a code of practice issued under the Safety Act (s. 1).
• Fit test. No interval; the code says fit testing “must be provided to all firefighters” and a facial hair policy may be needed (WSCC, 2017).
• Emergency-use devices. Semi-annual refresher training (s. 91(4)); inspection monthly and after each use, with the date and inspector displayed (s. 92).
• Breathing air. Must meet “approved purity requirements” (s. 93(4)); CSA Z180.1 is named only for compressed-air work in Part 19 (s. 287).
• Records. Fit-test, assessment and training records, and maintenance records for atmosphere-supplying respirators, are kept as long as the worker is employed (s. 91(5)-(6)).

Fire-service nuance.

• The semi-annual refresher for emergency-only respirators fits most volunteer SCBA users; build it into the training calendar.
• Volunteer departments can be exempted from Part 32 at the Fire Marshal’s request (s. 477), but not from ss. 91 to 93; see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-24 (regulations consolidated to 2024-09-26; code read).

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 91 to 93 (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NU], 2021, ss. 91-93); Code of Practice: Firefighters (WSCC, 2017).

What must be covered.

• The text is the same as the Northwest Territories: fit testing “in an approved manner” with no interval and no CSA Z94.4 edition named (s. 91(1)(a)(iv)); a capability assessment to an approved standard (s. 91(2)(d)); a semi-annual refresher for emergency-use devices (s. 91(4)) and monthly inspection (s. 92); records kept while the worker is employed (s. 91(5)); IDLH entry with positive-pressure SCBA rated for at least 30 minutes, a standby worker and rescue (s. 93); breathing air of “approved purity” (s. 93(4)).
• The code’s expectation that every firefighter be fit tested applies in Nunavut (WSCC, 2017).

Fire-service nuance.

• Commercial breathing air testing laboratories are far away; plan sample shipping and the test interval together (department practice).

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (official consolidation 2021-09-28, compared with the Northwest Territories text).

Law. Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 12.02, 12.05, 12.13 and 12.13.1 (Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [CA], 2026, ss. 12.02, 12.05, 12.13, 12.13.1). Cylinder requalification everywhere in Canada: the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations and CSA B339 (Transport Canada, 2025a; CSA B339-25).

What must be covered.

• CSA Z94.4 edition. Respirators are listed by NIOSH (or, for non-supplied-air respirators, by CSA under Z94.4.1) and meet CSA Z94.4; use and care follow Z94.4 (s. 12.13). References are ambulatory: “that standard as amended from time to time”, effective 30 days after an amendment is published in both official languages (s. 12.02(1)-(2)), so Z94.4-18 (R2023) applies.
• Fit. Equipment is “fitted to each user by a qualified person” (s. 12.05(1)(b)(i)); the interval and method come from Z94.4 (at least every two years; qualitative or quantitative).
• Breathing air. Supplied air and cylinders meet CSA Z180.1 (s. 12.13.1, added by SOR/2022-94).
• CBRN. Respiratory protection for first responders in CBRN events meets CSA Z1610 (s. 12.13(3)(a)).
• Medical. None in the regulations; Z94.4 screening applies.
• Cylinders, every jurisdiction. SCBA cylinders are transport cylinders. Requalification follows CSA B339, whose 2025 edition took effect 2025-08-01; steel and aluminum cylinders and current composite cylinders are typically retested every five years, and composite cylinders are condemned 15 years after manufacture, unless the cylinder’s specification or permit says otherwise (Transport Canada, 2025a; CSA B339-25).

Fire-service nuance.

• Department of National Defence and airport fire services fall under this regime; check whether an employer directive sets a shorter fit-test interval.
• A department in any province should treat the federal cylinder rules as part of its respiratory program, with a cylinder register showing manufacture date, last requalification and condemnation date.

Status. Partly verified: regulations read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2026-09-30). The CSA standards and the cylinder intervals were not read in the standards themselves.