Good practice: Respiratory protective equipment – fit
testing
In the second in a series of articles on respiratory protection,
Connect looks at equipment fit testing.
Headlines
- “The performance of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) with
a tight-fitting face piece depends on a good contact between the
wearer’s skin and the face seal of the mask,” according to
The Control of
Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, 2002
- According to the
British Safety Industry Federation, research indicates that up
to 50 per cent of all RPE used doesn’t offer the wearer the level
of protection assumed, often because it isn’t fitted correctly
- The COSHH Approved Code of
Practice says that “Employers should ensure that the selected
face piece is of the right size and can correctly fit each wearer.
For a tight-fitting face piece, the initial selection should
include fit testing to ensure the wearer has the correct device.
Also, employers must ensure that whoever carries out the fit
testing is competent to do so.”
- The British Safety Industry Federation (working with the HSE
and HSL) has developed ‘Fit2Fit’, an accreditation scheme for
people performing face piece fit testing
- The HSE has said that while following Fit2Fit isn’t compulsory,
“if you follow this scheme, you’ll be doing enough to demonstrate
good practice.”
What’s the law on RPE fit testing?
The Approved Codes of Practice for the following legislation all
recommend fit testing of RPE, which incorporate a tight-fitting
face piece:
What advice is there on RPE?
The main HSE advice on RPE is in the 2007 health and safety
guidance document ‘HSG 53 ‘Respiratory protective equipment at
work: a practical guide’, which can be downloaded free
from the HSE website.
An HSE document ‘Fit
testing of respiratory protective equipment face pieces’ provides
more detail on fit testing methods. The HSE uses the term ‘face
piece’ and define this to mean a full-face mask, a half-face mask,
or a filtering face piece/disposable mask. Fit2Fit standards
are based on this HSE document.
When should RPE be used?
In the
issue of Connect published on Monday 21 September
2009, we explained the problems of respiratory contamination and
illnesses. The article explained how a hierarchy of risk management
controls, from elimination of respiratory sensitisers through to
health surveillance, should be used to manage respiratory risks in
the workplace.
One part of this hierarchy is the use of RPE. Where a
respiratory sensitiser cannot be eliminated, and environmental
controls, such as ventilation, cannot reduce exposure to a low
enough level, exposure may need to be controlled using RPE.
HSG
53 states that RPE should only be selected and used after
a justification has been made in a risk assessment. It can be
used:
- when a respiratory risk remains after all other reasonable
controls have been put in place
- for short-term or infrequent exposures where other controls are
not reasonably practicable
- as an interim measure while other control measures are being
put in place
- in an emergency, to escape, to carry out emergency work, or for
trained personnel for rescue purposes.
For RPE to be an effective control, it’s essential that it’s
selected, fitted, maintained and stored correctly, and that people
exposed to respiratory hazards are in a programme of health
monitoring and surveillance.
How do I choose RPE?
Selection of RPE should take account of:
Individual factors such as facial hair, health
conditions and the need to wear glasses
Task factors such as duration, temperature,
humidity, other personal protective equipment required, and the
need to see fine detail, to move around or communicate
Hazard factors such as the substances and their
volatility
The selection stage should include face fit testing with individual
users who will need to wear RPE. Ideally, different models of
RPE should be provided to individual users for them to try
on.
When selecting RPE, you must make sure that it:
- provides effective protection for the wearer against the
hazard(s) identified
- is suitable for use in the environment in which it’s to be
used
- can be worn correctly while carrying out tasks
- can be worn correctly with other personal protective equipment
that’s needed
- is CE marked
- reduces exposures sufficiently to comply with the law.
HSG 53 provides
an RPE selector which guides you through the requirements for
selecting appropriate RPE. This takes account of information such
as the process or substance, the risk phrases, the amount of
substance used and the dustiness or volatility of the
substance.
When is fit testing needed?
Fit testing is needed where RPE is used as a control measure.
Where it’s worn by choice for comfort, fit testing isn’t required.
Loose fitting RPE, such as hoods and ventilated visors, don’t need
fit testing, although they should fit appropriately.
Fit testing should be repeated if the wearer:
- loses or gains enough weight to change the shape of their
face
- undergoes substantial dental work
- develops any facial scars or moles, etc, which could affect the
fit of the RPE.
Once a user has passed a fit test for a particular face piece, they
can wear other face pieces of the same make, model, type and size.
However, if they need to use a different make, model, type of size
then that face piece will also need to be fit tested.
Re-testing is recommended to check that the face piece remains
suitable and that the wearer is taking care to wear and remove the
mask correctly. A two-year cycle has
been suggested, and a one year retest is suggested for
work with asbestos.
What is face fit testing?
Fit testing can be qualitative or quantitative. Qualitative
testing involves a simple pass or fail based on whether the user
can taste or smell a harmless aerosol or odour through the RPE.
Qualitative testing is only appropriate for disposable or half face
masks.
A quantitative fit test may use a laboratory test chamber or a
portable fit test device, and produces a numerical ‘fit factor’
measure. This document provides
more detail of which fit test methods are appropriate for each type
of face piece.
The document also
provides detail about the conditions under which fit tests can take
place. For example, for taste and smell tests the wearer shouldn’t
eat, smoke, chew gum, or drink anything other than water, for at
least fifteen minutes before the test. For testing using a particle
counting device, the wearer shouldn’t smoke for at least an hour
before the test. Other tests require the wearer to hold their
breath and remain motionless for part of the test.
Who can carry out fit testing?
The document explains
the criteria for competence of the person conducting the fit
testing. You may be able to get help from the supplier of your
RPE. The Health and Safety Laboratories offer a fit testing
service and
courses
on fit testing.
The British Safety Industry Federation ‘Fit2Fit’ website provides details of
accredited Fit2Fit training providers, and information on how to
find a Fit2Fit accredited fit test provider.
What records do I need to keep of fit tests?
The following details of fit tests should be recorded:
- The equipment: make, model, material and size of the face piece
along with the serial number and whether the mask belongs to the
wearer, the company, or was provided by another body for the
test
- The person: name of the person fit tested
- The test: date of the test, exercises performed during the
test, fit test method employed and details of who carried out the
fit test and what pass level was used
- The results: measured fit factor values for each exercise, and
an average for the whole test where applicable.
Fit test records must be made available to the HSE on request, and
to the employees who wear RPE. Safety representatives may also need
to see summaries of the results.
Is fit testing the only testing needed?
As well as an initial fit test, RPE should be checked every time
it’s used to make sure it hasn’t been damaged, and that it’s being
worn correctly. The supplier of the RPE should provide details of
how to do a pre-use check.
Before each use, the wearer should ask:
- is this the right RPE for this particular job?
- if filters are used, are they the correct ones? Are they in
working order? Do they need replacing or cleaning?
- is the RPE clean, especially on the inside? If the respiratory
contaminant has settled on the inside of the face piece (because of
inappropriate storage), the user may breathe in the contaminant
during use
- are there any tears, cracks or signs of distortion?
The
Health Protection Agency suggests a simple method for checking
that a respirator fits correctly.
Any other checks?
COSHH (regulation 9(3)), CAW (regulation 13(2)) and CLAW
(regulation 8(3)) require RPE to be examined and tested at
‘suitable’ intervals. The Approved Codes of Practice recommend
examination and testing by a competent person at least once a
month. If RPE is used infrequently, it should be tested thoroughly
before each use, providing the interval between testing is no more
than three months. Records of selection, maintenance and testing
must be kept.
Look out for
BSIF, supported by IOSH, will be providing more details of its
‘Clean Air? Take Care!’ campaign next year.
Links
HSG 53
‘Respiratory protective equipment at work: A practical guide’
OC 282/28 (2003/4)
‘Fit testing of respiratory protective equipment face pieces’
The COSHH
essentials R series
Health and Safety
Laboratory training courses
Fit2Fit accreditation scheme from the
British Safety Industry Federation
Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
Control of
Asbestos at Work Regulations 2006
Control of Lead at
Work Regulations (2002)
Asbestos essentials:
PPE
Selection of respiratory
protective equipment suitable for use with wood dust