SIST EN 14435:2004

SIST EN 14435:2004 is the Slovenian standard identical to EN 14435:2004, published by SIST for respiratory protective devices. It specifies minimum performance requirements, testing and marking for self-contained open-circuit compressed air breathing apparatus with half mask designed to be used with positive pressure only.

What does SIST EN 14435:2004 specify?

SIST EN 14435:2004 covers the performance, test and marking rules for this type of breathing apparatus and is intended for assessing compliance by laboratory and practical performance tests. It applies to apparatus with a half mask and positive pressure only, and it excludes escape apparatus, diving apparatus and apparatus used for fire fighting.

The document is organized into clauses 1 to 8:

• Scope
• Normative references
• Terms and definitions
• Description
• Requirements
• Testing
• Marking
• Information supplied by the manufacturer

It also includes two informative annexes.

What are the key requirements of SIST EN 14435:2004?

SIST EN 14435:2004 combines design, performance and usability requirements. In practice, it tells manufacturers what the apparatus must include, what it must not include, and how it must behave under use, heat, flame, pressure, water exposure and wearer tests.

General design and configuration

Clause 5.1 prohibits a second medium pressure connector, a rapid filling connector and an ambient air bypass. This matters because the standard is written for a specific positive-pressure breathing concept and does not allow extra paths that could change performance or safety.

Clause 5.3 requires the design to allow inspection, safe handling and use in any orientation, with no sharp edges or protruding parts that could catch in narrow spaces. It also requires that changing pressure vessels be possible without special tools when the same type is offered with different vessel sizes.

Materials, cleaning and mass

Clause 5.4 requires materials with adequate heat resistance and mechanical strength, and it excludes exposed parts made of aluminium, magnesium, titanium or their alloys. Clause 5.5 requires resistance to the cleaning and disinfecting agents and procedures recommended by the manufacturer.

Clause 5.6 limits the ready-to-use mass with half mask and fully charged pressure vessel(s) to 18 kg. For buyers and users, this is a practical handling limit that affects wear time and mobility.

Connections, half mask and body harness

Clauses 5.7 to 5.9 set requirements for separable connections, hose routing, connection strength and the half mask. The breathing hose connection must withstand 250 N, pressure connections must not be interchangeable, and the half mask must meet EN 140 performance requirements except for its breathing resistance clause.

The body harness must let the wearer don and doff the apparatus quickly, adjust it securely and carry it without avoidable discomfort. Clause 5.10 adds practical performance testing to catch problems that do not show up in laboratory checks.

Temperature, flammability and immersion

Clause 5.11 requires operation from -30 °C to 60 °C, with defined breathing resistance limits at temperature extremes. It also sets flame resistance expectations for straps, buckles, breathing hoses, medium pressure tubes and the lung governed demand valve.

Clause 5.3 and the testing clause 6.8 require the apparatus to keep functioning after water immersion. That is important for use where the equipment may be splashed, washed or temporarily immersed.

Pressure system, indicator and warning device

Clauses 5.13 to 5.18 cover high- and medium-pressure parts, pressure vessel valves, pressure reducer, pressure indicator and warning device. The pressure indicator must be reliable, readable by the wearer and water resistant, while the warning device must alert the wearer at a predetermined pressure level.

Where electronics are used, the standard ties them to explosive-atmosphere classifications and electromagnetic compatibility requirements. For procurement, that means electronic options are not free-form add-ons - they must fit the safety and EMC rules named in the document.

Breathing performance

Clauses 5.20 to 5.22 set demand-valve supply, inhalation resistance, exhalation resistance and static pressure limits. These are the core user-safety criteria: the wearer must be able to breathe without excessive effort while the apparatus maintains positive pressure in the half mask.

What terms does SIST EN 14435:2004 define?

The standard uses terms and definitions from EN 132 and EN 134. Key terms for readers include:

• Self-contained open-circuit compressed air breathing apparatus - a breathing apparatus that carries its own compressed air supply and exhausts exhaled air to the atmosphere.
• Half mask - the facepiece used with the apparatus to supply breathable air while covering part of the face.
• Positive pressure - a condition in which the pressure in the half mask remains above ambient pressure during use.
• Lung governed demand valve - the valve that supplies breathable air in response to the wearer’s breathing demand.
• Pressure reducer safety valve - a safety device that protects downstream parts when full vessel pressure cannot be tolerated.
• Warning device - the device that alerts the wearer when pressure falls to a predetermined level.
• Practical performance test - a wearer test under realistic conditions used to reveal problems that laboratory tests may miss.

Who uses SIST EN 14435:2004?

Manufacturers use SIST EN 14435:2004 to design the apparatus and its pressure, mask, hose and warning components. Test laboratories and certification bodies use it to run the required visual, laboratory and practical performance tests.

Quality managers and buyers use it to specify what must be verified before acceptance, especially for breathing resistance, warning behavior, marking and user information. It is relevant to industrial respiratory protection supply chains where self-contained compressed air apparatus with half masks are selected, tested or audited.

Which standards are used with SIST EN 14435:2004?

The standard relies on several named references:

• EN 132 and EN 134 - definitions of terms and nomenclature of components
• EN 140:1998 - half masks and quarter masks requirements and tests
• EN 144-1 and EN 144-2 - gas cylinder valve thread and outlet connections
• EN 837-1:1996 - pressure gauge accuracy and metrology
• EN 12021 - breathable air quality for the supplied air
• EN 13274-2, EN 13274-3, EN 13274-4 and EN 13274-5 - practical performance, breathing resistance, flame tests and climatic conditioning
• EN 50014 and EN 50020 - electrical apparatus requirements for potentially explosive atmospheres
• EN 61000-6-2 - EMC immunity for industrial environments

The bibliography also lists EN 148-1, EN 148-2 and EN 148-3, which are relevant to facepiece thread connections mentioned in the standard.

What does the SIST EN 14435:2004 document contain?

The document gives a clause-by-clause requirement set and a matching test schedule in Table 1. It also includes two figures: one for the pressure reducer safety valve test setup and one for the breathing hose collapse test setup.

Its test methods cover visual inspection, temperature and flammability, pressure reducer behavior, warning device performance, leak tightness, water immersion, connection strength, hose collapse, practical performance and breathing resistance. Annex A provides guidance on marking components and sub-assemblies, while Annex ZA maps the clauses to the essential requirements of EU Directive 89/686/EEC.