After noting that some respirators (Protective Breathing Equipment – PBE) were defective, SWISS is gradually replacing them.
Two different models of PBE masks, certified to the international standard, are available on the Swiss airline’s planes for crews. SWISS did not specify which model was affected, only saying that some masks did not work properly or were difficult to remove from their packaging.
The crews have various equipment in all the planes, to protect yourself from smoke and vapors in the event of a smoke release. PBE full face masks are intended for pilots and cabin crew. They are equipped with oxygen generators so that crew members can breathe even if there is smoke in the cabin and move around without hindrance.
Experts from different SWISS departments carefully inspected the respiratory protection masks and found that the functionality of one of the two models was actually reduced in some cases. Although the defective character did not appear on all the masks tested, SWISS decided as a preventative measure to replace all the PBEs of the model concerned. Having installed nearly 1,000 respiratory protection masks of the affected model in its planes, the Swiss airline will replace them all over the coming months.
At the same time, it immediately reported incidents to the competent authorities – the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) and the Security Investigation Service (SESA) – and took measures to optimize the management of protective equipment. “SWISS systematically seeks to identify weak points in its daily operations and continually make improvements.“, she stressed.
