Air Purity Testing

Fire and Safety Training can carry out air purity testing for compressors and fixed systems. We use gas tubes for testing moisture, oil, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Using the Guide to Gas Cylinders( ERMA May 2011) Table 7.10.

7.10.2. What are the breathing air quality requirements?

Breathing air used in SCBA and SCUBA must meet the following requirements. It must:

a) Have no objectionable or nauseating odour; and

b) Contain not less than 20% and not more than 22% by volume of oxygen; and

c) Contain no more than 11 mg/m³ (10 ppm.) of carbon monoxide at 15°C and 100 kPa;

and

d) Contain no more than 900 mg/m³ (480 ppm.) of carbon dioxide at 15°C and 100 kPa;

and

e) for high pressure cylinders, contain no more than 100 mg/m³ (130 ppm. by volume) of

water at 15°C and 100 kPa; and

f) contain no more than 1 mg/m³ of oil at 15°C and 100 kPa when sampled from a

cylinder filled to a pressure of at least 12 MPa; and

g) where the air is supplied from a compressor that is intended for use with or may be

used to charge cylinders intended for use with, occupational diving or as SCBA, the

compressor has undergone a test at 3 monthly intervals to ensure that the compressed

air satisfies the requirements of a) to f) above.

NOTE: It is recommended that breathing air intended for recreational

diving also be tested at regular intervals to ensure that it meets the

requirements of a) to f) above.