EMERGENCY ESCAPE BREATHING DEVICE

The emergency escape breathing device (EEBD) provides you with respiratory and eye protection in an atmosphere that will not support life. Studies have shown that most fire casualties are caused by smoke and toxic fumes and not by the fire itself. The EEBD was developed to provide a 15-minute supply of breathable air. It is to be worn until you can get topside during evacuation from below deck spaces.

Primary components of the EEBD are a protective hood and life-support pack. The hood contains the breathable air and has a large visor and an elastic neck seal to prevent contaminants from entering the hood. The hood is fire resistant and will protect your face from open flame for about 6 seconds. The life-support pack consists of a solid, chemical oxygen generator, C O2 scrubber, and venturi nozzle. The EEBD is stored in a protective case, which has simple operating instructions on the outside and an attached carrying strap. The outside of the case has a tamper seal which allows you to see if the unit

Figure 6-30.-EEBD. 6-16

has been opened. When you need to use the EEBD, follow the instructions on the outside of the protective case (fig. 6-30).

With the proper training, you should be able to activate and don an EEBD in less than 30 seconds.

WARNING

REMEMBER, WHEN DONNING THE EEBD, IF YOU DON'T HEAR THE HISSING SOUND OF OXYGEN BEING GENERATED, DISCARD THE UNIT AND GET ANOTHER.

To remove the EEBD, grasp the hood at the lower edge of the back and pull it forward over your head. Be careful not to touch the lifesupport pack because it will be hot. Since the unit cannot be recharged after being used, it must be disposed of according to your ship's operating instructions.

Maintenance of the EEBD consists of a simple semiannual inspection to ensure that the device has not been tampered with, lost its vacuum seal, or exceeded its shelf life. A viewport on the side of the carrying case provides visual access to the humidity sensor. The humidity sensor indicates loss of the vacuum seal by a change in color from light blue to white or pink. Remember, the EEBD is not to be used for fire fighting in place of the oxygen breathing apparatus (OBA). The EEBD was designed to be used only to save your life in emergency evacuation situations.