Flow Test and Overhaul Requirements

The regulator and primary low-pressure warning device must be flow tested at specific time intervals by a certified repair technician or at an MSA service center. Contact your MSA sales representative or call the MSA Customer Service Center at 1-877-MSA-3473 for more information about this requirement.

Annual flow tests are a requirement of NFPA 1852, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), 2019 edition. Although this standard relates to SCBA used in the fire service, MSA requires that a flow test be done at least annually on all SCBA and combination respirators that use a regulator.

MSA recommends the routine inspection of all elastomeric materials including, but not limited to, those given in Visual Inspections and Functional Tests.

A decision to remove apparatus from service permanently should be based on the SCBA's performance data and whether that data meets the specified level of performance defined in the MSA CARE manuals.

MSA recommends overhauling the SCBA after every 600 hours of on-air usage. The SCBA service mode provides the status of on-air usage. Only trained personnel are authorized to use service mode.