As a part of each application for approval or modification of approval submitted pursuant to this part, each applicant shall file with the Institute a proposed quality control plan which shall be designed to assure the quality of respiratory protection provided by the respirator for which approval is sought.

(a) Each quality control plan shall contain provisions for the management of quality, including:

(1) Requirements for the production of quality data and the use of quality control records;

(2) Control of engineering drawings, documentations, and changes;

(3) Control and calibration of measuring and test equipment;

(4) Control of purchased material to include incoming inspection;

(5) Lot identification, control of processes, manufacturing, fabrication, and assembly work conducted in the applicant's plant;

(6) Audit of final inspection of the completed product; and

(7) The organizational structure necessary to carry out these provisions.

(b) Each provision for incoming and final inspection in the quality control plan shall include a procedure for the selection of a sample of respirators and the components thereof for testing, in accordance with procedures set forth in Military Standard MIL-STD-414, 11 June 1957, including Change Notice No. 1, “Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Variables for Percent Defective,” or an approved equivalent sampling procedure, or an approved combination of sampling procedures. The procedure of Military Standard MIL-STD-105D, 29 April 1963, “Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes,” is an example of an equivalent sampling procedure. MIL-STD-414 is incorporated by reference and has been approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be obtained from DODSSP, Standardization Document Order Desk, 700 Robbins Avenue, Bldg. 4D, Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094. Copies may be inspected at the NIOSH, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 18070, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. Copies of MIL-STD-105D may be inspected or obtained from the NIOSH, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 18070, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236. Incoming bulk raw material inspection or verification of specification, and in-process inspection shall be sufficient to ensure control of product quality through the manufacturing cycle.

(c) The sampling procedure shall include a list of the characteristics to be tested by the applicant or his agent.

(d) The characteristics listed in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section shall be classified according to the potential effect of such defect and grouped into the following classes:

(1) Critical. A defect that judgment and experience indicate is likely to result in a condition immediately hazardous to life or health for individuals using or depending upon the respirator;

(2) Major A. A defect, other than critical, that is likely to result in failure to the degree that the respirator does not provide any respiratory protection, or a defect that reduces protection and is not detectable by the user;

(3) Major B. A defect, other than Major A or critical, that is likely to result in reduced respiratory protection, and is detectable by the user; and

(4) Minor. A defect that is not likely to materially reduce the usability of the respirator for its intended purpose, or a defect that is a departure from established standards and has little bearing on the effective use or operation of the respirator.

(e) The quality control inspection test method to be used by the applicant or his agent for each characteristic required to be tested shall be described in detail.

(f) Each item manufactured shall be 100 percent inspected for defects in all critical characteristics and all defective items shall be rejected.

(g) The Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) for each major or minor defect so classified by the applicant shall be:

(1) Major A. 1.0 percent;

(2) Major B. 2.5 percent; and

(3) Minor. 4.0 percent.

(h) Except as provided in paragraph (i) of this section, inspection level IV as described in MIL-STD-414, 11 June 1957, including Change Notice No.1, “Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Variables for Percent Defective,” or an equivalent procedure, shall be used for major and minor characteristics and 100 percent inspection for critical characteristics. Inspection level II as described in MIL-STD-105D, 29 April 1963, “Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes,” is an example of an equivalent procedure.

(i) Subject to the approval of the Institute, where the quality control plan provisions for raw material, processes, manufacturing, and fabrication, inspections are adequate to ensure control of finished article quality, destructive testing of finished articles may be conducted at a lower level of inspection than that specified in paragraph (h) of this section.

(a) Each proposed quality control plan submitted in accordance with this subpart shall be reviewed by the Institute to determine its effectiveness in ensuring the quality of respiratory protection provided by the respirator for which an approval is sought.

(b) If the Institute determines that the proposed quality control plan submitted by the applicant will not ensure adequate quality control, the Institute shall require the applicant to modify the procedures and testing requirements of the plan prior to approval of the plan and issuance of any certificate of approval.

(c) Approved quality control plans shall constitute a part of and be incorporated into any certificate of approval issued by the Institute, and compliance with such plans by the applicant shall be a condition of approval.

(a) The applicant shall keep quality control inspection records sufficient to carry out the procedures required in MIL-STD-414, 11 June 1957, including Change Notice No. 1, “Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Variables for Percent Defective,” or an approved equivalent sampling procedure. MIL-STD-105D, 29 April 1963, “Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes,” is an example of an approved equivalent sampling procedure. MIL-STD-414 is incorporated by reference and has been approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies may be obtained from DODSSP, Standardization Document Order Desk, 700 Robbins Avenue, Bldg. 4D, Philadelphia, Pa. 19111-5094. Copies may be inspected at the NIOSH, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 18070, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. Copies of MIL-STD-105D may be inspected or obtained from the NIOSH, National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 18070, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236.

(b) The Institute reserves the right to have its representatives inspect the applicant's quality control test methods, equipment, and records, and to interview any employee or agent of the applicant in regard to quality control test methods, equipment, and records.

(c) The Institute reserves the right to revoke, for cause, any certificate of approval where it is found that the applicant's quality control test methods, equipment, or records do not ensure effective quality control over the respirator for which the approval was issued.