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