The basic SAR is comprised of a respirator facepiece—which could be a tight fitting half mask or full face mask, or a loose-fitting hood or helmet assembly—connected via an air supply hose to a source of breathing air. The air supply could be either a low pressure or high pressure source.
A low pressure source would be an ambient pump (an air compressor designed specifically for respiratory protection applications) located in, or drawing air from, a clean environment. A high pressure supply source would be either a cylinder or “cascaded” cylinders of breathing air, or the compressed air supply within a facility as long as it is filtered and monitored to ensure it meets OSHA’s purity requirements (see below) for breathing air.
Basic SARs are most commonly used in either one of two modes: continuous flow (the breathing air flows into the facepiece at a standard, steady rate) or pressure demand (the facepiece is continually pressurized with breathing air, and additional air is drawn in based upon the wearer’s breathing requirements). Pressure demand SARs require a high pressure supply source due to their performance requirements.
If you need help selecting the appropriate respirator for your job, get in touch with us today.