46 CFR 195.30-5: Self-contained breathing apparatus and equipment upkeep

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets minimum features for each self-contained breathing apparatus. It also requires all equipment to be kept operative. The master and chief engineer must ascertain that enough crew know how to operate the equipment.

What it says

  1. Each self-contained breathing apparatus must be of the pressure-demand, open-circuit type.

    46 CFR 195.30-5(a)“Each self-contained breathing apparatus must be of the pressure-demand, open-circuit type”

  2. Each self-contained breathing apparatus must be approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

    46 CFR 195.30-5(a)“approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)”

  3. Each self-contained breathing apparatus must have at a minimum a 30-minute air supply, a full facepiece, and a spare charge.

    46 CFR 195.30-5(a)“have at a minimum a 30-minute air supply, a full facepiece, and a spare charge”

  4. All equipment shall be maintained in an operative condition.

    46 CFR 195.30-5(b)“All equipment shall be maintained in an operative condition”

  5. The master and chief engineer are responsible for ascertaining that a sufficient number of the crew are familiar with the operation of the equipment.

    46 CFR 195.30-5(b)“it shall be the responsibility of the master and chief engineer to ascertain that a sufficient number of the crew are familiar with the operation of the equipment”

Common questions

What type of self-contained breathing apparatus is required?

Each one must be of the pressure-demand, open-circuit type. It must also be approved by MSHA and by NIOSH.

“must be of the pressure-demand, open-circuit type, approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)”

How much air supply must a self-contained breathing apparatus have?

It must have at a minimum a 30-minute air supply. It must also have a full facepiece and a spare charge.

“have at a minimum a 30-minute air supply, a full facepiece, and a spare charge”

Who makes sure the crew know how to use the equipment?

The master and chief engineer are responsible for ascertaining that a sufficient number of the crew are familiar with its operation.

“it shall be the responsibility of the master and chief engineer to ascertain that a sufficient number of the crew are familiar with the operation of the equipment”

The text of 46 CFR 195.30-5

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

General

(a) Each self-contained breathing apparatus must be of the pressure-demand, open-circuit type, approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and have at a minimum a 30-minute air supply, a full facepiece, and a spare charge.

(b) All equipment shall be maintained in an operative condition, and it shall be the responsibility of the master and chief engineer to ascertain that a sufficient number of the crew are familiar with the operation of the equipment.

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.