Face Fit Testing ensures your mask seals properly and provides full protection against harmful dust, fumes, and asbestos.
Face Fit Testing for Safe and Compliant RPE Use
Face Fit Testing is a way of making sure that the facepiece or mask RPE (Respiratory Protective Equipment) is fitted correctly and seals to the wearer’s face. A poor fitted mask will reduce the protection for the wearer and could lead to immediate or long-term ill health. If you work in an industry where respiratory protective equipment is needed, then a face fit test is required by law.
Certain job roles and industries require employees to wear particular RPE, in order to protect them from various harmful environments – such as dust and fumes. For example, asbestos is a leading cause of lung cancer and employers can’t be certain the mask is going to work effectively without it being tested by an experienced and fully trained face fit tester.
As faces come in all shapes and sizes, each wearer needs to be supplied with a face piece which matches their face as well as the requirements of the job. Face fit testing demonstrates how well a face piece matches the individual’s face; it is used to select a face mask which is a good match for them.
Face fit testing should be carried out if someone hasn’t been tested for a long time, or their face has significantly changed since their last test. Particularly if someone has had an injury where the seal is located, or they have lost or gained weight. RPE Face-Fit-Testing is carried out either on-site or at one of our clinics by a fully trained, qualified and experienced professional.
The test utilises the same RPE that will be worn whilst working on the daily task, which ensures the most accurate testing and outcome.
Employer Face-Fit Test Obligations:
- A face-fit-test is a legal duty of the employer
- A risk assessment should be carried out by the employer to determine whether a face-fit-test is required
- The RPE required is matched to the hazard
- FIT2FIT Accredited Face Fit Testing:
- Legal Requirement
- Quantitative testing is using an Ambient Particle Counter
- Qualitative is testing via taste
FIT2FIT Accredited Face Fit Testing:
Our team of experienced and professional respiratory specialists will offer technical advice where needed and show your workforce how to wear their RPE correctly. Our experienced team has delivered thousands of training sessions and uses this knowledge to deliver a seamless educational program to employees across a range of sectors.
Our team are Fit2Fit accredited by the BSIF which is the only UK competency scheme supported by the HSE
Legal Requirement
It is a mandatory legal requirement, under section 7 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 Employers must provide the correct training in the use and care of respirators and Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and Face Fit Tests for their employees whose work activities can result in harmful substances contaminating the air in the form of dust, gas or fumes.
Quantitative testing is using an Ambient Particle Counter
Quantitative fit testing (QNFT) provides a numerical measure of how well a face piece seals against a wearer’s face; this is called a fit factor. These tests give an objective measure of face fit. QNFT methods are suitable for disposable and reusable half masks and full face masks. Examples of QNFT methods are: ambient particle counting and controlled negative pressure (CNP).
Qualitative is testing via taste
Qualitative fit testing (QLFT) is a pass/fail test based on the wearer’s subjective assessment of any leakage through the face seal region by detecting the introduction of bitter- or sweet-tasting aerosol as a test agent. QLFT methods are suitable for disposable and reusable half masks; they are not suitable for full-face masks. Although this type of test is based on subjective detection and response by the wearer of the RPE, it is important that it is administered by a fit tester competent in using this method.
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