Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) in Malaysia
Breathing apparatus, escape sets, airline systems and masks. Serviced on an MSA SmartCHECK bench.
TopBorneo supplies self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) in Malaysia as an official MSA distributor, from offices in Labuan and Kota Kinabalu.
Sets, escape sets, masks and cylinders are quoted together with the servicing behind them. A breathing set is only worth having if it is tested and the cylinder is within its test interval. Sets are quoted at the level the job calls for, from a full MSA rig to a lighter escape set.
Breathing apparatus supplied, rented and serviced
What is in this range
Self-contained breathing apparatus and cylinders
A cylinder and a mask, so the wearer breathes air carried on the back. Supplied from the MSA range, rented for shutdowns and rescue cover, and serviced in our own workshop.
Airline breathing systems and breathing air compressors
Air supplied through a hose from a compressor or a cylinder bank, for long work in blasting, painting and tank cleaning. Supplied, rented and serviced.
Escape breathing devices
Emergency escape breathing devices give enough air to walk out of a space, not enough to work in it. Kept on vessels, on platforms and next to confined space entries.
Masks, filters and powered air respirators
Full face and half masks with filters and cartridges, and powered units that draw air through a filter on a belt. Quoted per model with the filters the job needs.
Abrasive blasting helmets and blast suits
Supplied air helmets and suits for blasting and grinding, from the Bullard range, with the airline filters and hoses that go with them.
Breathing air monitoring and carbon monoxide alarms
Monitors that watch the quality of supplied air and alarm on carbon monoxide, fitted between the compressor and the wearer.
Cooling units for supplied air systems
Units that cool the air before it reaches the wearer, for long jobs in heat. Quoted with the supplied air system they fit.
Why work with TopBorneo
Tell us the job, the site and the crew. We work out what fits instead of sending a catalogue back.
MSA, KStrong and Bullard straight from an official distributor, with lighter lines alongside them.
Gas detectors, breathing apparatus and cylinders are serviced by our own technicians.
The same people handle your enquiry, your order and your servicing.
Read more
Open a section to read what a buyer or an HSE manager needs before ordering.
Which respiratory protection does what
| Type | What it does | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| SCBA | Supplies clean air from a cylinder on the back, so the wearer breathes nothing from the surrounding air | Rescue, firefighting, entry into an atmosphere that is not safe to breathe |
| Escape set (EEBD) | A small cylinder with a hood, for getting out and nothing else | Escape from a space that has gone bad, for the rated time on the model |
| Air purifying respirator | Filters the air that is there, through a cartridge on a half or full mask | Dust, vapours and fumes, only where there is enough oxygen |
| Airline set | Air through a hose from a source outside the space | Long work in a confined space, where a cylinder would not last |
A filter mask cannot make oxygen. In a space with too little oxygen, or with a gas the cartridge does not hold back, only a breathing set will do. For what a plantation or a mill crew orders alongside this, see plantation safety equipment.
Breathing sets and masks
Sets are quoted against your list. Send the number of sets and the cylinder size you already use, and say whether the sets have to match equipment you have on site now. Mixing brands across masks, demand valves and cylinders causes more trouble than it saves. Full face masks, demand valves and spare cylinders are quoted with the set.
Escape sets
An escape set is not a small SCBA. It is rated for a short escape time, stated per model, and it is for leaving a space and nothing more. Sites usually hold them where the way out is long or where a leak would fill the space quickly. Ask for the rated duration per model in the quotation, and check that it covers your own escape route.
Cylinders, and who tests them
Breathing air cylinders are pressure vessels and are tested on a schedule. Cylinder intervals come from the cylinder maker, not from a single rule, so read the marking on the cylinder and your client's contract before you assume anything. What that means in practice is set out on the page about cylinder hydrostatic testing.
TopBorneo tests cylinders in Kota Kinabalu with the water jacket method. The cylinder is put in a sealed jacket full of water and put under pressure, and the test measures how much it expands and whether it springs back.
Servicing in the same workshop
Breathing apparatus that is never tested is a box with a promise in it. TopBorneo services breathing sets in Kota Kinabalu on the MSA SmartCHECK test bench. That is the bench MSA builds to test full face masks, demand valves, compressed air breathing apparatus and chemical suits against EN standards. See breathing apparatus servicing. The rest of the range is on the safety equipment supplier in Malaysia page.
Common questions
What is a self-contained breathing apparatus?
An SCBA supplies clean air from a cylinder carried by the wearer, so nothing from the surrounding air is breathed in. It is used for rescue, firefighting and entry into atmospheres that are not safe. TopBorneo supplies and services them in Malaysia.
What is the difference between an SCBA and an EEBD?
An SCBA is worn to work in an atmosphere that is not safe to breathe. An EEBD, an escape set, is a small cylinder with a hood. It is worn to get out and nothing else, for the short rated time of that model. TopBorneo supplies both, and quotes the rated duration per model.
Who services breathing apparatus in Sabah?
TopBorneo services breathing apparatus in its own workshop, on the MSA SmartCHECK test bench. That bench tests full face masks, demand valves and compressed air breathing apparatus against EN standards.
Can a filter mask be used instead of a breathing set?
No, not in an atmosphere that is short of oxygen or that holds a gas the cartridge does not stop. A filter mask cleans the air that is there. TopBorneo supplies both, and the choice follows the gas test result rather than the price.
Send your set and cylinder list
Email the number of sets, the mask type and the cylinder markings to crm@topborneo.com, or send them to the Labuan or Kota Kinabalu WhatsApp number. TopBorneo comes back with a quotation for the equipment, and separately for servicing and cylinder testing if the sets are due.