SWP - SCBA Daily and After-Use Inspection and Cleaning

The user inspection and cleaning of SCBA, facepieces, cylinders and PASS by members: at the start of each duty period for an assigned unit; at least weekly for unassigned, spare and apparatus-mounted units; after every use; and monthly for the rapid intervention pack and spare cylinder stock (CSA Z94.4-18, cl. 12 and 13; NFPA 1850, 2026, ch. 16 and 17). Technician-level inspection, annual flow testing and repair are separate (Respiratory Protection Program section 7 and Form - SCBA Inspection and Maintenance Log).

• An unnoticed fault discovered inside a fire: partial cylinder, PASS that does not arm, regulator that free-flows, cracked lens, stuck exhalation valve, worn strap.
• Contaminated SCBA carried into the cab and the station: dermal and inhalation exposure to combustion products for the whole crew.
• Cross-contamination of facepieces between members.
• Chemical exposure from cleaning agents; damage to lenses and seals from the wrong agent.
• A cylinder past its test date or service life filled and used.

Nitrile gloves; eye protection; P100 half-facepiece or N95 when cleaning after a fire; manufacturer-approved cleaner and disinfectant; soft brushes; lint-free cloths; drying rack or air-dry area away from sunlight and heat; facepiece bags; out-of-service tags; the daily check sheet; a pen.

One trained member per unit; the company or station officer to initial each sheet. Competency: recruit respiratory training with the inspection module signed off, and the annual proficiency evaluation. A member may not inspect a unit they have not been trained on.

1. Confirm the unit is the one on your sheet by serial number. Confirm the cylinder’s hydrostatic test date is within interval and the service-life date has not passed.
2. Cylinder: read the gauge; at or above 90 percent of rated pressure, or swap it. Look for gouges, heat discolouration, chemical marks or cuts in the wrap. Valve hand-wheel intact, outlet threads clean.
3. Backframe and harness: straps free of cuts, burns and fraying; buckles close and release; cylinder retention latch holds; hoses free of cuts, kinks and abrasion; fittings tight.
4. Open the cylinder valve fully and listen. No hiss. Watch the gauge and the HUD rise and settle. Confirm the gauge and the HUD agree.
5. PASS: confirm it armed on pressurization; trigger the manual alarm and reset; let it go still until the pre-alarm sounds, move it to cancel. Audible and distinct (NFPA 1970, 2025).
6. EOSTI (low-air alarm): confirm the alarm and HUD indicate during the pressurization test or per the manufacturer’s check; confirm the activation point is set at the NFPA 33 percent setting (technician confirms annually; the user confirms the alarm sounds).
7. Regulator: connect to a facepiece or test adapter; breathe or activate; purge works and closes; bypass works and closes; no free-flow at rest; mating latch secure.
8. Low-pressure leak check: close the cylinder valve; watch the gauge for one minute; a drop beyond the manufacturer’s limit means a leak, tag it out. Bleed the system with the purge.
9. Facepiece (your own): lens clean and uncracked; seal flexible and uncut; head harness straps elastic and buckles intact; exhalation valve seats and flexes; nose cup seated; voice amplifier battery good; eyewear insert secure. Don it and do a negative-pressure seal check.
10. RIC universal air connection: cap in place, no damage.
11. Telemetry and electronics where fitted: paired and battery good.
12. Cleanliness: no soot, no residue, no odour. A dirty unit is not ready; clean it now (section B).
13. Close the valve, bleed the pressure, return the unit to its bracket or case with the straps extended and the facepiece in its bag.
14. Complete the sheet. Every line gets a tick or an “X”, never a blank. Sign it. The officer initials it. An “X” means the unit is tagged out, a spare is placed, and the officer makes the adverse-condition report before the end of the duty period.
15. Facial hair check: the officer confirms, at the same time, that every member on the crew who may enter is clean-shaven in the seal area. Record it on the sheet.

16. On scene, preliminary exposure reduction has already wiped or rinsed the exterior and bagged the facepiece (SWP - On-Scene Preliminary Exposure Reduction). The unit travels in a sealed bag or an exterior compartment, never in the cab (NFPA 1585, 2025; NFPA 1850, 2026, ch. 16).
17. At the station, go to the dirty area. Wear gloves, eye protection and a P100 half-facepiece or N95.
18. Remove the cylinder. Inspect it for damage and heat exposure; set it aside for refill or exchange; record it on the fill log when refilled (SWP - Breathing Air Fill Station and Cylinder Handling).
19. Remove the regulator from the facepiece. Cover the regulator inlet and outlet. Wipe the regulator exterior with the approved cleaner; never submerge it unless the manufacturer says so.
20. Routine cleaning of the facepiece: disassemble per the manufacturer (remove the nose cup, voice amplifier and insert where they come off); wash in warm water with the approved cleaner using a soft brush; rinse; disinfect with the approved agent for the contact time; rinse again; air-dry away from heat and sunlight; reassemble; inspect; bag.
21. Routine cleaning of the harness and backframe: brush off loose debris; wash with the approved cleaner; rinse; air-dry. Remove soft goods for machine washing only where the manufacturer allows.
22. Advanced cleaning and disinfection (heavy soot, blood or body fluid, mould, odour that routine cleaning does not remove): full disassembly per the manufacturer, extended wash and disinfection, by a member trained for it or the technician. Specialized cleaning after hazmat, CBRN or unknown chemical exposure: quarantine the unit, tag it, and send it to the technician or the manufacturer; do not attempt it at the station.
23. Reassemble the unit with a full cylinder and repeat the daily inspection (section A, steps 2 to 13) before returning it to service. Sign the return-to-service line on the sheet.
24. Wash your hands and forearms; shower within the hour per SWP - Post-Call Station Decontamination.

25. RIT pack: full daily inspection; spare facepiece present and clean; RIC universal air connection hose and fittings tested; cylinder full.
26. Spare cylinder stock: count; every cylinder at or above 90 percent; every cylinder within test date and service life; cylinders unused for 12 months depressurized and refilled.
27. Record on the monthly sheet.

The daily, weekly and monthly check sheets (section 11), signed by the member and initialled by the officer; the return-to-service line after every use; cleaning type recorded (routine, advanced, specialized); the adverse-condition report for any “X”; the fill log for every cylinder refilled; retention in {{Records system}} for the period set in 05 Document Control and Records. The HSO samples 10 percent of sheets quarterly for gaps and for sheets signed with every line ticked on days the apparatus was on calls at 0700 (a sign the check may not have been done).

Recruit training module with a practical sign-off; annual proficiency evaluation includes a daily inspection on an unfamiliar unit; cleaning sign-off for advanced cleaning. The Respiratory Protection team reviews this procedure annually and whenever the SCBA model or cleaning agent changes, beginning with a learning-team session on how the morning check is really done.

Respiratory Protection Program; Policy - Respiratory Protection; SWP - SCBA Donning, Use and Air Management; SWP - Breathing Air Fill Station and Cylinder Handling; SWP - On-Scene Preliminary Exposure Reduction; SWP - Post-Call Station Decontamination; Form - SCBA Inspection and Maintenance Log; Decontamination and Contamination Control Program.

{{Department}} SCBA check sheet. Station: ______ Apparatus: ______ Unit serial: ______ Cylinder serial: ______ Hydro due: ______ Service life end: ______ Month: ______

Mark each line ✓ (checked, good) or X (fault, tag out). No blanks. Weekly units: one column per week.

After-use line. Date: ______ Incident number: ______ Cleaning: routine / advanced / specialized ______ Cylinder refilled, fill log entry: ______ Daily inspection repeated and unit returned to service by: ______ Officer: ______

Monthly line (RIT pack and spare cylinders). Date: ______ RIT pack checked (all lines above plus spare facepiece and RIC-UAC hose): ______ Spare cylinders counted: ______ All at or above 90 percent, in date: ______ Any cylinder unused 12 months depressurized and refilled: ______ By: ______ Officer: ______

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.