BS EN 4856 specifies requirements for Emergency Breathing Systems (EBS) for use by helicopter crew and passengers in the event of a ditching or water impact, to ensure minimum levels of performance. It applies to EBS for use by adults only.
Two categories of EBS are addressed by BS EN 4856; Category A EBS capable of being successfully deployed in air and underwater and Category B EBS capable of being successfully deployed in the air but not underwater.
BS EN 4856 is applicable to compressed air, rebreather, and hybrid rebreather designs of EBS.
BS EN 4856 on Emergency Breathing Systems (EBS) is applicable to:
Rotorcraft is an aircraft where one or more rotors provide lift throughout the entire flight, such as helicopters, autogyros, and gyrodynes.
An emergency breathing system is a form of personal protective equipment that provides the user with a means to breathe underwater, thereby improving the probability of successfully escaping from a submerged rotorcraft cabin. With the help of EBS you can mitigate the risk of drowning.
BS EN 4856 aims to ensure that the equipment presents a minimal hazard in relation to escape from the rotorcraft and that the equipment has no detrimental effect on the health and safety of the user or on the performance of other equipment.
As a quality control personnel, you can use BS EN 4856 guidelines for visual inspection, nominal values, and tolerances, magnetic properties testing, breathing, ergonomic, and cold-water performance.
BS EN 4856 applies to all rotorcrafts including helicopters, tilt/wing, and gyroplanes. Hence, as a manufacturer of these applications, you can use BS EN 4856 to improve their production.
EN 4856:2018