OCFA Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Practice Exam

What are common indicators of a facepiece seal problem?

Air leaking at the seal, lens fogging that cannot be resolved, or difficulty maintaining a positive pressure.

The lens turning purple and the strap breaking.

The gauge reading high pressure while air is low.

The backpack failing to inflate.

A facepiece seal problem shows up when the seal can’t keep the inside of the mask airtight. The clearest signs are:

- Air leaking at the seal—you may feel a breeze or hear a hiss around the edges, showing the seal isn’t forming a true barrier.

- Lens fogging that can’t be resolved—moist breath escaping around a bad seal condenses on the lens and won't clear with cleaning, indicating the interior humidity is isn’t being kept separate from the outside.

- Difficulty maintaining a positive pressure inside the facepiece—if the interior isn’t kept slightly pressurized, contaminants can leak in and the breathing air feel less effective, signaling a seal leak.

Other problems like the backpack failing to inflate, odd gauge readings, or straps failure relate to different parts of the equipment (air supply or harness) and don’t indicate a facepiece seal issue.