Qualitative Face-Fit Testing
MECsafe are able to provide qualitative face-fit testing service for your employees, this can be undertaken on-site, at your premises or at our Training Centre in Doncaster.
If you provide respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to your employees then it is essential that you have documentary evidence to show the RPE fits the wearer. By subjecting each wearer to a face-fit test you can be sure that your organisation is fulfilling the requirements laid out in the Health & Safety Executives (HSE) guidance note HSE 282/28.
What type of masks require Fit Testing?
RPE Fit Testing is required for all tight-fitting face pieces including all filtering face pieces (disposable face masks), half masks and full-face masks. This includes negative pressure full-face masks as well as power-assisted full masks, and both self-contained and air-fed breathing apparatus.
What does the Face-Fit Test Involve?
The HSE information document 282/28 recommends that Fit Testing procedures should comprise a series of 7 exercises which should be performed for at least one minute each. The wearer must achieve an individual pass result in each of the 7 test exercises within one single testing period. ie if a single one of the exercises fails then the whole test must be repeated. The minimum time required to conduct one face-fit test to include purging and ambient sampling time is 15 minutes with additional time required for training users how to use their mask.
The recommended fit testing exercises for both Qualitative and Quantitative tests are:
– Normal Breathing
– Deep Breathing
– Head Side to Side
– Head Up and Down
– Bending
– Grimace (excluded from overall result)
– Talking
– Normal Breathing
Face Fit Tests are available daily at our our head offices.
We also schedule Face Fit ‘Train the Trainer’ courses at our head offices, which is suitable for anyone who needs to be able to deliver face fit testing to employees or co-workers on site. Please visit our course schedule for “open” course dates.
Please contact MECsafe to discuss your requirements in more detail.
