BS EN ISO 16972:2020

What is ISO 16972 about?  

ISO 16972 defines terms and specifies units of measurement for respiratory protective devices (RPDs), excluding diving apparatus. It indicates graphical symbols that can be required on RPDs, parts of RPD or instruction manuals in order to instruct the person(s) using the RPD as to its operation. 

Note: Terms and definitions for diving apparatus are given in EN 250. 

Who is ISO 16972 for? 

ISO 16972 on respiratory protective devices is relevant to:  

• Hospitals 
• Laboratories  
• Production factories 
• Paint shops 

Why should you use ISO 16972?  

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is a particular type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), used to protect the individual wearer against the inhalation of hazardous substances in the workplace air.  

Respiratory protective devices are divided into two main types: 

• Respirator (filtering device) – uses filters to remove contaminants in the workplace air 
• Breathing apparatus (BA) – needs a supply of breathing-quality air from an independent source (eg air cylinder or air compressor) 

Reading and understanding respiratory protective devices theory can get tricky ISO 16972 solves this problem by defining terms and specifying units of measurement for respiratory protective devices (RPDs), excluding diving apparatus. This will enable you to understand respiratory protective devices and thus increase efficiency. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

BS EN ISO 16972:2020 supersedes BS EN 132:1999 and BS ISO 16972:2010, which are withdrawn. 

BS EN ISO 16972:2020 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 132:1999 and BS ISO 16972:2010. These are: 

• The terms used in the field of respiratory protective devices (RPD) have been updated 
• Clause 5, “Units of measurement”, has been deleted 
• Annex A, “Terms and definitions referring to respiratory protective devices in current national standards, regulations or other national contexts”, has been deleted 
• Annex B, “Abbreviations used”, has been deleted