BA Wearers Guidance

Question 1

What are the main four routine duties of a BA wearer?

Answer 1

BA wearers have the following routine duties to carry out:
• An ‘A’ test when taking over a set, following a cylinder change or when nominated to test a ‘spare’ set.
• Inform the crew or watch manager if their set has not had a 28 day test.
• Immediately report any defects or missing equipment to the crew or watch manager.
• Keep the BA facemask seal free from hair. This is an avoidable hazard. Hair, facial or head, in contact with the seal of the BA facemask, will impair the ef ciency of the seal.

Question 2

At an incident what are the duties of the BA wearers?

Answer 2

At an incident BA wearers must:
• Undertake an ‘A’ test when taking over a set or following a cylinder change ( reground A test).
• Don and start in safe air
• Ensure they have at least 240 bars reading on the Bodyguard when they report to the Entry Control Of cer (ECO).
• Establish and confirm a call sign with ECO.
• Hand their BA tally to the ECO on starting up.

Question 3

Consumption of air rates can vary, because of this BA wearers should do what four things?

Answer 3

Because consumption of air in BA varies over a wide range, all wearers must:
• Carry out regular checks of their Bodyguard to monitor their consumption.
• Monitor the pressure remaining in the BA set.
• Return to the entry control point before their low pressure warning/whistle begins to sound.
• Liaise with ECO to ensure turnaround times take into account both live telemetry and manually calculated TOW being used by the ECO for return to ECP.

Question 4

In assessing working duration what factors are important for a BA team to take into account?

Answer 4

In assessing working duration, team leaders and wearers should take into account all aspects
These may include:
-The air taken to reach the scene of operations.
-Work rate at the scene of operations
-Conditions within the incident that reduce working duration and cause physical exhaustion.
-The possibility that conditions on the exit route may have deteriorated.
-Information received from entry control and other teams.
-That consumption rates on the way out will be higher due to the natural effects of physical exertion or increased exertion, for example, exit from a basement.

Question 5

A BA team leader must withdraw and inform ECO if what happens? 7 things

Answer 5

A team leader must withdraw their BA team and inform the entry control if:
• Any team member has an uncontrolled loss of air.
• A low pressure warning device sounds
• Any team member seems unwell or confused.
• Any team member’s Bodyguard gauge is faulty or unreadable.
• A team member’s ADSU/DSU sounds
• Any team member indicates they may have been exposed to an irrespirable atmosphere due to a dislodged or defective face mask.
• A complete loss of both radio and telemetry signals simultaneously.
The team cannot withdraw as a single unit and, if this is not possible, they must immediately go into entrapped procedure