EMERGENCY RESCUE GUIDELINES
\n FOR
\n AIR BAG EQUIPPED CARS *<\/p>\n
Incident with a Fire<\/p>\n
First use normal fire extinguishing procedures
\n then follow the rescue guidelines below.<\/p>\n
Incident with a Deployed Air Bag<\/p>\n
Use normal rescue procedures and equipment.<\/p>\n
Do not delay medical attention.<\/p>\n
DEPLOYED AIR BAGS ARE NOT DANGEROUS<\/p>\n
However, they do produce a dust that may cause minor skin or eye irritation
\nwhich can be prevented by:<\/p>\n
— Wearing gloves and eye protection
\n— Keeping the dust away from the patient’s eyes and wounds
\n— Removing gloves and washing hands after exposure to the dust<\/p>\n
Incident with an Undeployed Air Bag<\/p>\n
An Undeployed air bag is unlikely to deploy after a crash.<\/p>\n
Most incidents will not require rescuers to work in what would be the
\ndeployment path of the air bag; therefore, rescue operations can begin without
\ndelay.<\/p>\n
IN THOSE RARE INSTANCES WHEN SOMEONE IS PINNED DIRECTLY
\n BEHIND AN UNDEPLOYED AIR BAG, SPECIAL PROCEDURES SHOULD
\n BE FOLLOWED:<\/p>\n
— Disconnect or cut both battery cables safely
\n — Avoid placing your body or objects against the air bag module,
\n or in what would be the deployment path of the air bag
\n — Do not mechanically displace or cut through the steering column,
\n until after the system has been fully deactivated
\n — Do not cut or drill into the air bag module
\n — Do not apply heat in the area of the steering wheel hub<\/p>\n
* Based on information provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety
\nAdministration (NHTSA) by the automobile and air bag manufacturers, and
\ncoordinated with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA).<\/p>\n
If your questions are not answered below, please contact the NHTSA Office of
\nOccupant Protection, NTS-13, Washington, DC, 20590, or the USFA Office of
\nFirefighter Health and Safety, NETC, Emmitsburg, MD 21727.
\n AIR BAG-EQUIPPED CAR EMERGENCY RESCUE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS<\/p>\n
Q1. How does an air bag work?<\/p>\n
Most air bag-equipped cars on the road today have a driver-side air bag. A
\nfew makes, Lincoln, Mercedes, and Porsche, have both driver- and
\npassenger-side air bags as standard or optional equipment. The air bag is
\ndesigned to supplement the protection offered by safety belts. In a frontal
\nimpact of sufficient severity (comparable to a collision into a solid wall at
\n10-14 MPH or above), sensors in the vehicle detect the sudden deceleration and
\ntrigger the inflator module. This causes the solid chemical propellant sealed
\ninside the inflator, principally sodium azide, to undergo a rapid chemical
\nreaction. This reaction produces primarily nitrogen gas, the same gas that
\nmakes up 80 percent of the air we breathe. The gas inflates a woven nylon bag
\npacked inside the steering wheel hub or the instrument panel for the front seat
\npassenger. The bag inflates in less than one-twentieth of a second, splitting
\nopen its protective cover, and inflating in front of the occupant. As the
\noccupant contacts the bag, the nitrogen gas is vented through openings in the
\nback of the bag, which helps to cushion forward movement.<\/p>\n
Because air bags are designed to deploy only in frontal or near-frontal
\ncrashes–not in side, rear, or rollover crashes–it is possible that you will
\nbe involved in rescuing someone from a car with an air bag that did not deploy.<\/p>\n
Q2. How do I identify a car equipped with an air bag?<\/p>\n
If the bag has deployed, you will be able to see it dropping from the steering
\nwheel hub or the instrument panel om the passenger side.<\/p>\n
If the bag did not deploy, several methods can be used. The steering wheel hub
\nis large and rectangular, (about 6″ X 9″). The large hub usually will be
\ncovered with a scored, soft plastic material. The words, “Supplemental
\nInflatable Restraint,” “Air Bag,” or initials such as “S.I.R.,” or “SRS,” may
\nbe embossed somewhere on the surface. In most cases, the Vehicle
\nIdentification Number (VIN) can be used to determine the presence of an air
\nbag. Exhibit 1 shows the codes used by the auto manufacturers. Some
\nmanufacturers indicate the presence of an air bag system by placing placards
\nunder the hood and on the driver side windshield pillar.<\/p>\n
If you cannot determine whether the car is equipped with an air bag, you
\nshould assume that it has one, particularly if it’s a late model car, and
\nfollow the guidelines for air bag cars.<\/p>\n
Q3. Is smoke produced during deployment?<\/p>\n
There are three kinds of “smoke.” First, many people mistake the corn starch
\nor talcum powder used to lubricate the bag as smoke. These substances should
\nnot be a problem for rescue workers or accidents victims. Second, a sealant
\nwhich is used to prolong the life of the air bag system can smoke when the air
\nbag is deployed. This smoke dissipates rapidly and should not be cause for
\nconcern. Lastly, during deployment, small particles from inside some bag
\nsystems are vented into the passenger compartment. These airborne particles
\nlook like some, and some are deposited as a powdery residue on and around the
\nbag.<\/p>\n
Q4. Is the air bag hot?<\/p>\n
The bag itself will not be hot. Some components within the air bag module will
\nbe hot for a short time, but they are relatively in accessible and should pose
\nno threat to rescue personnel or crash victims. However personal contact with
\nthe steering wheel hub should be avoided for at least 15 minutes after
\ndeployment.<\/p>\n
Q5. What about the powdery residue on and around the air bag?<\/p>\n
The residue is primarily corn starch or talcum powder, which is used to
\nlubricate the bag as it deploys, and by-products of the chemical reaction that
\nproduces the nitrogen gas to inflate the air bag. This residue may contain a
\nsmall amount of a potential skin irritant, sodium hydroxide.<\/p>\n
The same gloves and eye protection that rescuers would normally wear to protect
\nthemselves (from sharp metal edges, glass, or from bodily fluids) also will
\nprevent any irritation to the skin or eyes resulting from the residue release
\nduring deployment. Thus, the potential for this type of exposure is not severe
\nenough to warrant delaying rescue operations. Hands should be washed with mild
\nsoap and water after handeling a deployed bag. Also avoid rubbing your eyes,
\neating, or smoking after handeling the bag until you have removed the gloves
\nand washed your hands. Rescuers also should take care to avoid introducing the
\nresidue into the eyes or any wounds of the patient. If the residue gets into
\nthe eyes, they should be flushed with water.<\/p>\n
Q6. Is there any sodium azide in the residue? Is it harmful?<\/p>\n
There is no detectable amount of sodium azide residue present in the passenger
\ncompartment after an air bag deployment. Sodium azide, a component of the air
\nbag inflator propellent, converts to the nitrogen gas used to inflate the air
\nbag. Sodium azide in it’s solid state is toxic, but since it is hermetically
\nsealed in a very strong metal container, which itself is located inside a
\nprotective housing within the steering hub, it is unlikely that rescue workers
\nwill be exposed.<\/p>\n
Q7. If a undeployed air bag module is somehow ruptured, what precautions
\n should be taken?<\/p>\n
In the unlikely event that the canister containing the sodium azide-based
\npropellent is ruptured, any unburned propellent will be found in a variety of
\npressed tablet forms. Do not touch or ingest any exposed propellent or expose
\nit to an ignition source. As in all other rescue operations, rescuers should
\nwear gloves and eye protection.<\/p>\n
Q8. Is the sodium azide canister likely to explode during a car fire?<\/p>\n
No. The air bag is designed to inflate normally in the event that a vehicle
\nfire causes the canister to be heated above 300 Degrees F. Consequently it is
\npossible that the air bag will deploy in a car fire, but there should be no
\nfragmentation of the inflator.<\/p>\n
Q9. If there is a fire in an air bag car, can water be used to extinguish it?<\/p>\n
Yes. Any effective firefighting medium, including water, may be used to
\nextinguish a fire in an air bag-equipped car.<\/p>\n
Q10. Is it all right to breathe the passenger compartment air after an air bag
\n has deployed?<\/p>\n
Chemical analyses of deployment by-products show no reason for concern. Also
\ntests have been conducted with volunteers, chronic asthmatics known to be
\nhighly susceptible to airborne particles. These tests showed that the
\natmosphere produced by an air bag inflation posed no respiratory system hazard
\nto the asthmatics studied.<\/p>\n
Q11. What has been the experience of crash test personnel in dealing with air
\n bag-equipped cars?<\/p>\n
NHTSA has crash tested more than 70 with air bags. The test engineers and
\ntechnicians who regularly handle deployed air bags and test dummies have
\nreported no ill effects from their repeated exposure to the products of air bag
\ndeployments.<\/p>\n
Q12. If the air bag did not deploy in the crash, is it likely to deploy after
\n the crash?<\/p>\n
No. The sensor devices used to activate the system are designed to respond
\nonly to the type of violent forces present during a crash. It is unlikely that
\nthe same type of forces will be created during rescue operations.<\/p>\n
In most cases, rescue operations can proceed normally and without delay. In
\nthe unlikely event that a driver or passenger is pinned behind an undeployed
\nair bag, it will be necessary to take special precautions (See Q15).<\/p>\n
Q13. If the air bag(s) did not deploy in the crash, can the system be
\n deactivated?<\/p>\n
The electrically activated systems used on most air bag-equipped cars can be
\ndeactivated. First, disconnect or cut both battery cables. This will begin
\nthe deactivation period for the backup power system that it part of most
\nelectrically activated systems. For some vehicle makes, deactivation will
\noccur in a matter of seconds; others take a few minutes, (See Exhibit 2).
\nMechanically activated systems, used only on 1990 Jaguar coupes and
\nconvertibles, cannot be deactivated in the field.
\n EXHIBIT 1<\/p>\n
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) CODES
\n FOR DRIVER- AND PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAGS<\/p>\n
MODEL VIN VIN
\n MAKE SERIES YEARS POSITION VALUE TYPE
\n _________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
ACURA LEGEND 1988-91 4-5 KA D
\n NSX 1991 4-5 NA D<\/p>\n
AUDI 1989-91 6 5 D<\/p>\n
BENTLEY 1990-91 8 D D<\/p>\n
BMW 1986-91 8 1 D<\/p>\n
BUICK 1990-91 7 3 D<\/p>\n
CADILLAC 1989-91 7 3 D<\/p>\n
CHEVROLET 1990-91 7 3 D<\/p>\n
CHRYSLER 1988-91 4 X or Y D
\n TC MASERATI 1991 7 2 D<\/p>\n
DODGE 1988-91 4 X or Y D<\/p>\n
FORD 1985-91 4 C D<\/p>\n
INFINITY 1990-91 8 C D
\n G-20 1990 8 C D<\/p>\n
ISUZU 1990-91 7 3 D<\/p>\n
JAGUAR PALLETTE COLLECT 5 W D
\n XJS 1990-91
\n CLASSIC COLLECT 1991<\/p>\n
LEXUS 1990-91 4 C D<\/p>\n
LINCOLN 1990-91 4 C D
\n 1989-91 4 L D\/P<\/p>\n
MAZDA MX-5 1990-91 4-8 NA351 D
\n RX-7\/Convertible 1990-91 4-8 FC352 D<\/p>\n
MERCEDES BENZ 1984-91 8 B or D D
\n 1989-91 8 E D\/P<\/p>\n
* D = DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG
\n D\/P = DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG and PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG<\/p>\n
Q14. Should rescuers wait for the system to be fully deactivated before
\n proceeding with rescue operations?<\/p>\n
Except for the special case of someone being pinned behind an undeployed air
\nbag, rescue operations can and should begin immediately. Rescue workers should
\nnot place themselves or any objects on the air bag module (the face of the
\nsteering wheel hub), or in what would be the deployment path of the air bag.<\/p>\n
Q15. What if someone is pinned behind a steering wheel or instrument panel
\n with an undeployed air bag?<\/p>\n
In the unlikely event that a driver or front seat passenger is pinned behind an
\nundeployed air bag, special procedures should be followed.<\/p>\n
If circumstances permit, wait for the system to be fully deactivated before
\nattempting to remove the victim (See Q13 for deactivation procedures).<\/p>\n
You need not wait to provide medical attention, so long as you do not place
\nyour body or any objects on the air bag module, or in what would be the
\ndeployment path of the air bag.<\/p>\n
If the patient must be removed at once, extrication efforts should be performed
\nfrom the side of the entrapped victim, and away from the potential deployment
\npath of the air bag. Do not place your body or other objects against the air
\nbag module. Do not mechanically displace or cut through the steering column
\nunless the air bag system has already been fully deactivated. At no time,
\nshould anyone drill into the air bag module, or apply heat (above 300 Deg. F)
\nin the same area of the steering wheel hub.<\/p>\n
In the case of the mechanically activated system currently found only on 1990
\nJaguar coupes and convertibles, extreme care should be taken to avoid sharp,
\njolting impacts to the steering column, particularly in a forward or rearward
\ndirection. Cutting of the steering wheel rim or the column is permissible, if
\nthe previously mentioned types of impacts can be avoided.<\/p>\n
NOTE: Crashes that result in victims being pinned behind an undeployed air bag
\nwill be rare. NHTSA has not heard of such a case among the thousands of
\ncrashes documented to date. A unusual combination of circumstances, for
\nexample, a direct side impact which buckled the floor upward beneath the
\nvictim, would have to be present to trap someone without deploying the air bag.<\/p>\n
Q16. Occasionally we use damaged cars for rescue training purposes. The cars
\n are scrapped after we finish the training. Should we take any
\n precautions to prevent an unwanted deployment during training?<\/p>\n
Before using an air bag-equipped car for training purposes, deploy the air bag.
\nA procedure for deploying the air bag can be found in the service manual,
\nprovided by each manufacturer to its dealers. Contact the car dealer for
\nassistance.<\/p>\n
EXHIBIT 1 (Continued)<\/p>\n
MODEL VIN VIN
\n MAKE SERIES YEARS POSITION VALUE TYPE
\n _________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
MERCURY 1985-91 4 C D<\/p>\n
MITSUBISHI 1990-91 4 X D<\/p>\n
NISSAN 1987-88 8 B D
\n 1989-91 8 C D<\/p>\n
OLDSMOBILE 1988-91 7 3 D<\/p>\n
PLYMOUTH 1988-91 4 X or Y D<\/p>\n
PONTIAC 1989-91 7 3 D<\/p>\n
PORSCHE 1987-91 6 2 D\/P<\/p>\n
ROLLS ROYCE 1990-91 8 D D<\/p>\n
SAAB 900 1990-91 5 L or K D
\n 9000 1988 5 L D
\n 9000 1989-91 5 L or K D<\/p>\n
TOYOTA SUPRA 1990-91 4-8 MA70M;MA70N D
\n MA71M;MA71N<\/p>\n
CELICA 1990-91 4-8 ST88P;ST87F D
\n ST87N;ST85N
\n AT86F;ST87K<\/p>\n
MR2 1991 4-8 SW21M;SW21N D
\n SW22M;SW22N<\/p>\n
VOLKSWAGON 1989 6 9 D
\n CABRIOLET 1990-91 6 5 D<\/p>\n
VOLVO 1989-91 5 A D<\/p>\n
EXHIBIT 2<\/p>\n
DEACTIVATION TIMES FOR AIR BAG BACKUP POWER SUPPLY<\/p>\n
VEHICLE MAKE TIME
\n _____________________________________________________<\/p>\n
Acura 15 Seconds<\/p>\n
Audi 10 Seconds<\/p>\n
Bentley 30 Minutes<\/p>\n
BMW 20 Minutes<\/p>\n
Chrysler 2 Minutes<\/p>\n
Ford *<\/p>\n
GM 10 Minutes<\/p>\n
Isuzu 10 Minutes<\/p>\n
Lexus 20 Seconds<\/p>\n
Mazda 10 Minutes<\/p>\n
Mercedes 1 Second<\/p>\n
Mitsubishi 30 Seconds<\/p>\n
Nissan 10 Minutes<\/p>\n
Porsche 10 Minutes<\/p>\n
Rolls Royce 30 Minutes<\/p>\n
Saab 20 Minutes **<\/p>\n
Toyota 20 Seconds<\/p>\n
Volvo 10 Seconds<\/p>\n
VW (Cabriolet) 10 Minutes<\/p>\n
* MY 1985-89 = 0; MY 1990 = 15 minutes;
\n MY 1991 = 1 minute if positive battery
\n cable is shorted to ground, 15 minutes
\n if not shorted out
\n ** 0 Seconds if panel beneath steering column
\n is removed & orange connector to air bag
\n module is disconnected<\/p>\n
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