# Checklist - Respiratory Protection > Fire Service Safety Management System, version 0.3.3 (2026-10-25). The Human Factor. Document FSSMS-AUD-P01. > > Canonical: https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-respiratory-protection > > Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 with the Adopting Agency Grant (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) > > General information only, not legal, medical or other professional advice. Verify every requirement against the current official text of the law, standards and manufacturer instructions that apply to you. Obtain your own legal review and consult your joint health and safety committee before adopting anything. You adopt, adapt, implement and rely on this material entirely at your own risk and on your own responsibility. Full terms: Terms of Use, thehumanfactor.ca. ## Scope This category audits [Respiratory Protection Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/respiratory-protection-program) (FSSMS-PRG-01) and [Policy - Respiratory Protection](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/policy-respiratory-protection) (FSSMS-POL-07): the written program and its administration; hazard assessment and selection; fit testing and facial hair; medical clearance; training and competency; air management and emergency operations links; overhaul and air monitoring; breathing air and fill stations; SCBA and cylinder care; records; the accountability loop; and psychological safety in the program. It is run annually by the internal audit under [01 Audit Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/audit-program), with the Respiratory Protection team’s program administrator and the JOHSC consultant present, and every three years by an independent reviewer. ## Criteria The criteria are drawn from CSA Z94.4 (CSA Z94.4-18, cl. 5 to 15), CSA Z180.1 (CSA Z180.1:19), NFPA 1550 [(NFPA 1550, 2024, s. 9.11 to 9.17, 10.5, 10.8, 21.5, 21.8)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-respiratory-protection#ref-nfpa-1550), NFPA 1970 [(NFPA 1970, 2025)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-respiratory-protection#ref-nfpa-1970), NFPA 1850 [(NFPA 1850, 2026, ch. 14 to 17)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-respiratory-protection#ref-nfpa-1850), the respiratory protection training requirements that NFPA 1400 now holds, formerly NFPA 1404 [(NFPA 1400, 2026)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-respiratory-protection#ref-nfpa-1400), the cylinder requalification rules under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations Part 5 [(Transport Canada, 2025a)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-respiratory-protection#ref-csa-b339), the applicable provincial or territorial respiratory protection rules ([J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j14-respiratory-protection-fit-testing-and-breathing-air); see Jurisdiction requirements), and the accreditation criteria for safety programs and safety equipment [(CPSE, 2019, criteria 11A and 6F)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-respiratory-protection#ref-cpse-2019). The audit scores what is done and whether it works, not only what is written. ## Scoring **0** not in place; **1** documented, not implemented; **2** implemented, not verified effective; **3** implemented and effective with evidence. The category score is the mean of the items scored; items marked not applicable (a module switched off) are excluded. The “3 looks like” column is the scoring guide for each item: score 3 only when that description is met with evidence the auditor has seen; score 2 when the practice is observed but the verification evidence is missing; score 1 when only the document exists. ## Checklist | \# | Item (criterion) | Stage | Evidence expected | 3 looks like | Score (0-3) | Finding | Owner | Due | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | **A. Program governance** | | | | | | | | | | 1 | A written respiratory protection program exists, is approved by the fire chief, consulted on with the JOHSC, and has been reviewed within the last 12 months or three years as the policy requires | S1 | Signed program and policy; revision log; JOHSC minutes | Current signatures and dates; JOHSC minutes show consultation on the last revision; members can find it | | | | | | 2 | A program administrator is appointed in writing with authority to stop respirator use and remove equipment from service, and has program administration training | S1 | Appointment memo; training certificate | The administrator describes a time they used the authority; the memo and certificate are on file | | | | | | 3 | Standards are cited as the latest version and an edition watch is recorded quarterly (CSA, NFPA, NIOSH notices) | S1 | Quarterly update line; corrective actions for edition changes | Four consecutive quarterly checks on file; the last NIOSH rescission notice was checked against the fleet | | | | | | 4 | Roles for supervisors, users, fit testers, issuers, technicians and the health provider are documented and the role-holders can describe them | S1 | Program section 4; interviews | Three role-holders interviewed describe their duties as written | | | | | | 5 | The Respiratory Protection Program Improvement Team is chartered, meets monthly, and has produced quarterly updates and an annual appraisal | S2 | Charter; minutes; updates; appraisal | Four quarterly updates and one appraisal in the last 12 months, presented to the senior team and the JOHSC | | | | | | **B. Hazard assessment and selection** | | | | | | | | | | 6 | A written respiratory hazard assessment covers every task line in toolkit T2 that the department performs, including overhaul, vehicle, dumpster and battery fires, CO calls, medical, training and station exhaust | S1 | Completed T2; review dates | Every applicable row completed, reviewed inside 12 months, with monitoring data attached where available | | | | | | 7 | Each hazard class has a documented respirator selection with APF rationale; IDLH and unknown atmospheres get pressure-demand SCBA only | S1 | T3; selection record | Selection matches the hazard assessment; no APR or PAPR permitted in a hazard area anywhere in the department’s documents | | | | | | 8 | A fleet approval register lists every SCBA configuration, facepiece, cylinder, APR and filtering facepiece with NIOSH approval and NFPA certification, reconciled to the NIOSH Certified Equipment List inside 12 months and after any rescission notice | S1 | Register; reconciliation record | Three sampled units match the register and the CEL; the last rescission notice was checked and dated | | | | | | 9 | Procurement specifications require NIOSH approval, NFPA 1970 current edition, EOSTI at 33 percent, UEBSS, integrated PASS and RIC-UAC, with the CBRN option where required; acceptance tests are recorded for new units | S1 | Specification; acceptance test reports | The last purchase’s specification and acceptance tests are on file and match | | | | | | 10 | APR, PAPR, supplied-air, wildland and tactical respirators are used only within documented task limits; none in a hazard area | S1 | T3; task plans; observations | Observation at a cold-structure task or investigation shows monitoring in use before an APR is worn | | | | | | **C. Fit testing and facial hair** | | | | | | | | | | 11 | 100 percent of members who may enter a hazard area have a quantitative fit test on their issued SCBA facepiece inside 12 months | S1 | Fit-test register; sample of records | Register at 100 percent; five sampled members’ issued facepiece size matches the record | | | | | | 12 | All other tight-fitting respirator users (APR, N95) are fit tested inside 12 months on every model and size they may be issued | S1 | Register | Every model and size stocked appears in the register for the members who use it | | | | | | 13 | Fit tests are done with interfacing PPE and recorded with every field in [Form - Fit Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-fit-test-record) | S1 | Sampled records | Five sampled records complete, with interfacing PPE and pass criterion recorded | | | | | | 14 | Fit testers’ competency is documented; the quantitative instrument’s daily checks and calibration are current | S1 | Competency records; instrument logs | Tester observed by the administrator inside three years; daily check logged for every test day sampled | | | | | | 15 | Re-test triggers (facepiece change, weight change, dental or facial change, discomfort) are applied and at least one triggered re-test was handled correctly in the last year | S2 | Register; sampled triggered record | A triggered re-test with cause, result and any restriction communicated | | | | | | 16 | The clean-shaven rule is enforced: supervisors record the check on daily sheets; no exemptions other than reassignment and loose-fitting PAPR for non-IDLH work | S1 | Daily sheets; observations at a working fire or drill | Sampled sheets show the check; no member with hair in the seal area observed in a hazard area | | | | | | **D. Medical clearance** | | | | | | | | | | 17 | Every respirator wearer has a current clearance outcome on file before fit testing and first use, repeated on the provider’s schedule | S1 | Clearance status list; sampled Part B outcomes | List at 100 percent; five sampled outcomes dated before the member’s fit test | | | | | | 18 | Restrictions are communicated to supervisors in task terms without diagnosis; the department holds no medical questionnaires or diagnoses | S1 | Sampled files; interview with the administrator and a supervisor | No health information beyond the outcome in any department file; a supervisor can describe a restriction without a diagnosis | | | | | | 19 | A route exists for members to self-report a change in condition and be re-evaluated, and members know it | S1 | Program T5; interviews | Three members interviewed can describe how to self-report | | | | | | **E. Training and competency** | | | | | | | | | | 20 | Recruit training covers every item in program section 6, and records show completion before first hazard-area assignment | S1 | Training records; T10 sign-offs | Five sampled recruits have a complete T10 dated before their first interior assignment | | | | | | 21 | Every operational member has a recorded individual consumption profile (minutes to EOSTI and EOSTI to empty at two or more work rates) renewed inside three years | S1 | Drill records | Profiles on file for 100 percent; a sampled member states their own numbers | | | | | | 22 | The annual SCBA proficiency evaluation (timed donning, inspection, emergency procedures, air management scenario, mayday) is complete for 100 percent of operational members inside 12 months | S1 | Training records | 100 percent complete; the instructor’s evaluation sheet shows each element | | | | | | 23 | Mayday, PASS activation and RIT drills are held at least annually with records | S1 | Drill records | Every station or platoon drilled inside 12 months | | | | | | 24 | Officers are trained in air management supervision, work cycles, PAR intervals tied to air, monitoring interpretation and overhaul decision authority | S1 | Officer competency records | 100 percent of officers acting as incident commander hold the record inside three years | | | | | | 25 | SCBA technicians hold current manufacturer authorization; fill station operators, fit testers and air monitor users hold the competencies the program sets | S1 | Certificates; sign-offs | Every person doing the work appears in the records with a current date | | | | | | **F. Air management and emergency operations** | | | | | | | | | | 26 | The air management procedure is in force: full cylinder at entry, gauge checks at benchmarks and on status reports, exit pressure set at the door, exit before EOSTI, EOSTI inside equals immediate crew exit, work cycles, longer-duration cylinders by risk assessment | S1 | SWP; radio logs from three recent working fires; interviews | Radio traffic shows entry pressure, benchmark and PAR with air readings; crews interviewed state the exit pressure rule | | | | | | 27 | Two-in/two-out and an initial rapid intervention crew are established before interior entry; the RIT is not assigned air-consuming tasks and has a RIT pack with RIC-UAC and spare facepiece | S1 | Incident records; RIT assignment logs; ISO observations | Three sampled incidents show RIT assignment times before entry; RIT pack checked monthly | | | | | | 28 | The accountability system is used with PAR at defined intervals and benchmark events | S1 | Accountability records; radio logs | PAR traffic on three sampled working fires at the intervals the procedure sets | | | | | | 29 | Every low-air alarm inside a hazard area, mayday, buddy-breathing event, facepiece breach and PASS activation in earnest is reported as a near miss and reviewed, with lessons fed to training | S1 | Near-miss register; learning review records; training records | Every such event in the last year has a near-miss report, a review and a dated training or procedure change | | | | | | 30 | Buddy-system compliance and PASS activation are verified by incident safety officer observation | S1 | ISO reports | ISO reports from three working fires record the check | | | | | | **G. Overhaul, air monitoring and other respirator use** | | | | | | | | | | 31 | SCBA is worn for all interior overhaul; facepiece removal inside happens only on the incident commander’s logged decision supported by multi-gas monitoring including HCN and the absence of smoke, off-gassing and odour | S1 | Incident logs with readings and decision; ISO and HSO observations | Three sampled working fires show the readings and the decision logged; no facepiece-off observation inside before the decision | | | | | | 32 | Action levels are documented against the adopted exposure limits and officers can state them; they are used for exterior and secondary tasks and investigators, never as an interior all-clear | S1 | T2; interviews | Three officers state the action levels and the interior rule correctly | | | | | | 33 | Every front-line apparatus carries a multi-gas monitor with HCN, bump-tested daily or before use, calibrated inside 30 days or after high exposure, with a sensor replacement program | S1 | Apparatus sheets; calibration logs | Sampled apparatus show bump tests on every duty period in a 30-day window; calibration inside interval | | | | | | 34 | Sampling practice (dwell time, knee, waist and overhead heights, monitoring at rehab and decontamination) is taught and observed | S2 | Training records; observation | Observed at a working fire or drill | | | | | | 35 | Wildland APR and medical N95 or PAPR provisions are implemented with fit tests, stock of models and sizes, and written reuse rules (where the modules apply) | S2 | Stock records; register; reuse rules | Two models and a size range on hand; reuse rule posted; every user in the register | | | | | | 36 | Exposure reports are filed for every fire with products of combustion | S1 | Exposure reports against incident list | Every working fire in a sampled quarter has reports for the members who were inside | | | | | | **H. Breathing air and fill stations** | | | | | | | | | | 37 | Air quality certificates from an accredited laboratory exist for every compressor, mobile unit, cascade bank and purchased air source at the quarterly schedule (six months minimum), with every parameter within Z180.1 limits and any failure investigated with corrective action | S1 | [Form - Breathing Air Quality Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-breathing-air-quality-test-record); certificates; corrective actions | Last four records per source on schedule; any failure shows stop, quarantine, cause, re-test and closure | | | | | | 38 | Re-tests are done after filter change, major overhaul, extensive repair and at commissioning of any new or mobile unit | S1 | Maintenance log cross-checked with test records | Every logged filter change or overhaul in the last year is followed by a test record | | | | | | 39 | The compressor intake siting is assessed in writing; the CO monitor with alarm and shutdown and the high-temperature shutdown are functional and calibrated; filter and moisture maintenance is logged per the manufacturer | S1 | Siting assessment; fill station log | Calibration inside interval; maintenance log complete against the manufacturer schedule | | | | | | 40 | The fill station enclosure is rated to contain a cylinder failure; the fill procedure requires visual inspection and hydrostatic date check before every fill; the fill log is complete; operators are trained | S1 | Enclosure specification; fill log; training sign-offs | Sampled 30 days of fill log complete; an operator demonstrates the pre-fill check | | | | | | 41 | Cascade and storage cylinders are in the cylinder register, requalified on schedule, labelled, and fitted with connections that cannot mate with non-breathing gases | S1 | Register; observation | Every cascade cylinder in date; fittings observed | | | | | | **I. SCBA and cylinder care** | | | | | | | | | | 42 | Daily (assigned) and weekly (unassigned) user inspections are logged with no gaps across a sampled 90 days; every “X” led to tag-out, a spare and an adverse-condition report | S1 | Daily and weekly sheets; adverse-condition reports | No gaps in the sample; every X traced to a report and a return-to-service entry | | | | | | 43 | Every SCBA has an annual flow test on a calibrated breathing machine inside 12 months, plus tests before first use and after repair, by an authorized technician | S1 | [Form - SCBA Inspection and Maintenance Log](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-scba-inspection-and-maintenance-log) | 100 percent of the fleet; three sampled units show the test and the technician’s authorization | | | | | | 44 | The cylinder register is 100 percent within hydrostatic interval and service life; visual inspections before fill and after use are recorded; condemned cylinders are rendered unusable and segregated | S1 | Register; condemnation records; observation | No cylinder past date or life anywhere in the department; condemned cylinders observed rendered unusable | | | | | | 45 | Facepieces are individually assigned and marked, cleaned and inspected after each use, stored protected; spare facepieces of each size are held per station | S1 | Daily sheets; observation; stock records | Observed storage in bags away from contamination; spares of every size at a sampled station | | | | | | 46 | Post-fire cleaning records (preliminary exposure reduction on scene, routine, advanced or specialized) exist for every working fire; contaminated SCBA are not transported in cabs; stations have clean and dirty segregation | S1 | Cleaning records; observation | Every working fire in a sampled quarter has an after-use cleaning entry; cab observed clean; zoning observed | | | | | | 47 | Retirement criteria are applied; retired units are destroyed and removed from inventory; adverse-condition reports carry chain of custody | S1 | Retirement records; inventory; adverse-condition reports | No unit past its retirement date in service; a sampled adverse condition shows custody from tag-out to technician | | | | | | **J. Records, evaluation and the loop** | | | | | | | | | | 48 | Records are kept on the program’s retention schedule in {{Records system}}, and medical records are held only by the provider | S1 | Records audit | Sampled records retrievable; no medical content in department files | | | | | | 49 | The annual program evaluation (observation, interviews, record review, near-miss review) is complete, reported to the fire chief and the JOHSC, with corrective actions registered; an independent review has occurred within three years | S2 | Evaluation report; register; independent review report | Last evaluation inside 12 months with observation and interview evidence, not records only; independent review inside three years | | | | | | 50 | **Accountability and closed feedback loop.** The program’s loop table names one line owner, doers, verifiers with frequencies, a feedback path with cycle times and a closure rule with escalation; every deficiency from inspections, tests, near misses and audits in the last year is in the Corrective Action Register with an owner and due date; closures carry evidence and verifier sign-off; overdue items were escalated on the register’s priority scale; the loop test can be walked through on a real event | S1 | Program section 11; register; quarterly updates; a real event traced end to end | A deficiency reported by a member is traced from report, through the register, to a verified closure, a reply to the member and a change notice, within the cycle times the table sets | | | | | | 51 | **Psychological safety.** Members report that they can raise a respiratory concern with their officer and get an answer; the concern reply log shows answers inside five working days; stop-work calls and near-miss reports exist and were handled without reprisal; near-miss and good-catch reports per working fire are rising or stable at a healthy level, not zero | S1 | Reply log; near-miss register; survey item; interviews with three members at different ranks and stations | Members interviewed describe a concern they raised and the answer they got; the log shows on-time replies; no reprisal case in the last year; the near-miss count is above zero and reviewed | | | | | | 52 | Learning-team sessions were held before each procedure change in the program in the last year, with write-ups that name no individuals and show work-as-done informing the change | S2 | Learning-team write-ups; procedure revision log | Every revised SWP in the last year has a preceding learning-team write-up | | | | | ## Effectiveness questions (observation or interview only) 1. **Ask three firefighters, separately:** “What pressure do you leave at, who decides, and when did your crew last leave before the alarm because of the number on the gauge?” The program is working when the answers match the procedure and each person can name a real recent instance. It is not working when the answer is “when the alarm goes”. 2. **Watch overhaul at a working fire, or the last three incident logs if none occurs during the audit:** when did the first facepiece come off, who decided, and what reading was on the monitor at that moment? The program is working when the decision, the readings and the time are logged and the members inside stayed on air until the announcement. 3. **Ask a company officer and a volunteer member:** “Tell me about the last respiratory protection concern you or your crew raised. What happened to it, and how did you find out?” The program is working when both can describe a concern, the answer they got and how long it took; it is not working when neither can think of one, which means concerns are not being raised, not that there are none. ## Category score | Section | Items | Mean score | Lowest item | Notes | |:---|:---|:---|:---|:---| | A. Program governance | 1 to 5 | | | | | B. Hazard assessment and selection | 6 to 10 | | | | | C. Fit testing and facial hair | 11 to 16 | | | | | D. Medical clearance | 17 to 19 | | | | | E. Training and competency | 20 to 25 | | | | | F. Air management and emergency operations | 26 to 30 | | | | | G. Overhaul, air monitoring and other respirators | 31 to 36 | | | | | H. Breathing air and fill stations | 37 to 41 | | | | | I. SCBA and cylinder care | 42 to 47 | | | | | J. Records, evaluation and the loop | 48 to 52 | | | | | **Category mean** | | | | Report by section, never as one number ([02 Audit Checklist Master Index](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/audit-checklist-master-index)) | Findings go to the [Corrective Action Register](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/corrective-action-register) with the owner and due date from the table; the program manager owns them until verified closed. The audit report goes to the fire chief, the Respiratory Protection team and the JOHSC. > **Information: Delivery note** > > Run items 11, 43, 44 and 37 first; they are quick to check and usually expose the real state of the program. Score item 51 from interviews at a volunteer station as well as a career one. ## Jurisdiction requirements This chapter relies on the following legal requirements, which differ by province and territory. Check your jurisdiction’s section on each topic page before adopting it. | Topic | What to check in your jurisdiction | Page | |:---|:---|:---| | Written Procedures and Committee Consultation | Whether written respiratory protection procedures are required, what makes them adequate and available, and whether the committee must be consulted when they are set or revised (items 1, 26) | [J06 Written Procedures and Committee Consultation](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j06-written-procedures-and-committee-consultation) | | Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations | Whether a fire-service rule requires a buddy system, two-in/two-out or a rapid intervention crew for interior work in SCBA (items 27, 30) | [J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j12-fire-service-ohs-rules-and-fireground-operations) | | Firefighter PPE and Protective Equipment | Which SCBA, PASS and hood standards, and which editions, the law requires for structural firefighting (items 8, 9, 30) | [J13 Firefighter PPE and Protective Equipment](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j13-firefighter-ppe-and-protective-equipment) | | Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air | Which edition of CSA Z94.4 the program must meet, whether medical clearance is required before respirator use, how often and by what method SCBA and other tight-fitting respirator users must be fit tested, and the breathing air standard, test interval and cylinder requalification rules (items 3, 11, 12, 17, 37, 41, 44) | [J14 Respiratory Protection, Fit Testing and Breathing Air](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j14-respiratory-protection-fit-testing-and-breathing-air) | | Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices | Whether equipment must be inspected before each use and by a competent person at a set interval, when defective equipment must be removed from service, and how long inspection and maintenance records must be kept (items 42, 43, 48) | [J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices) | ## References Center for Public Safety Excellence \[CPSE\]. (2019). *Fire and emergency service self-assessment manual* (10th ed.). Commission on Fire Accreditation International. CSA Group. (2018). *CAN/CSA-Z94.4-18 (R2023), Selection, use, and care of respirators* (5th ed.). CSA Group. (2019). *CSA Z180.1:19, Compressed breathing air and systems* (6th ed.). National Fire Protection Association. (2024). *NFPA 1550, Standard for emergency responder health and safety* (consolidates NFPA 1500, 1521 and 1561). National Fire Protection Association. (2025). *NFPA 1970, Standard on protective ensembles for structural and proximity firefighting, work apparel, open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for emergency services, and personal alert safety systems (PASS)* (consolidates NFPA 1971, 1975, 1981 and 1982). National Fire Protection Association. (2026). *NFPA 1400, Standard on fire service training* (consolidates NFPA 1402, 1403, 1404, 1407, 1408, 1410 and 1451). National Fire Protection Association. (2026). *NFPA 1850, Standard on selection, care, and maintenance of protective ensembles for structural and proximity firefighting and open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)* (consolidates NFPA 1851 and 1852). Transport Canada. (2025a). *CSA B339* \[Web page; B339-25 in force 2025-08-01 under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, s. 5.10\].