Although it’s an intricate piece of equipment with a number of components — including a facepiece, a breathing tube and a blower that passes contaminated air through a HEPA filter — a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) depends heavily on something fairly ordinary in order to function well: a battery.
A great deal of attention is focused on the need to clean and disinfect a PAPR’s hood or helmet, the suspension inside the head gear and the protective face shield, but the battery – specifically its storage, care and usage – should also be a high priority for administrators of respiratory protection programs. If the battery is not in proper operating condition, it may not supply the PAPR with a sufficient charge to perform properly, which could place the wearer at risk of personal injury or death.