You will understand how imperative it is to ensure a proper fit if you've ever used a respirator before. When a respirator is not sealed properly, hazardous substances can leak into the respirator, exposing the wearer to harmful effects. Having your face fitted is an essential step to ensuring your personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn correctly so you can work safely. In this blog post, we will explore why face fit testing is so crucial. We will also explore what you can do to ensure your employees are properly equipped for their safety.
It is our goal to provide you with the peace of mind that you deserve. Face fit testing is a very significant part of your overall respiratory protection program, and it should be performed whenever a respirator is used. This test helps ensure that your respirator functions properly, so you can work in confidence knowing that you’re not at risk of ill health effects or injury.
In order to determine if a face fit test is necessary, who should be evaluated?
All employees who use respirators must undergo a face fit test before they put on their personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes employees working in high-hazard environments where there is potential exposure to hazardous substances or infectious diseases.
Why should I be worried about wearing a poorly-fitting mask?
If your mask has not been fit tested by a qualified fit tester you cannot be sure that the mask you are wearing is creating an adequate seal against your face, putting you at risk of inhaling any hazardous substance in the environment you are working in, or the hazardous substance you are working with.
Advantages of a Face Fit Test
Face fit testing is a quick, safe, and accurate way of ensuring that you have the right protective equipment for your employees. It reduces the risk of exposure to hazardous substances, improves productivity as well as overall safety and compliance with regulations, which can save resources and reduce costs.
The advantages of face fit testing include:
- Safe and accurate
- Reduces the risk of exposure to hazardous substances
- Improves safety by minimising inhalation or entry into the eyes or mouth during an emergency such as firefighting.
- Minimises damage caused by leaking face pieces
To ensure a secure fit, your employees need to wear the right respirator. But how do you know which one is right?
There are two main types of face fit testing methods: qualitative and quantitative.
Qualitative Method
We use a respirator fit tester to conduct qualitative face fit testing as part of our quality assurance program. The respirator is used to measure the amount of air leaking through the face piece (the part worn by the wearer) when the face piece covers the wearer's nose and mouth while the wearer is wearing the respirator.
Quantitative Method
As part of quantitative face fit testing, leakage is also measured. However, it instead uses a machine that measures both how much CO2 escapes from inside the mask and how much oxygen enters through its filter material. This method can be more accurate than qualitative methods because it considers physical factors like facial hair, head shape or thickness of hair or skin on your face that can affect air flow—although not as accurate as subjective methods because there’s no way to replicate real-world conditions in a lab setting.
Don't compromise on safety. Get reliable fit testing for your PPE. Book an appointment today!
Face fit testing is a simple, quick test that can be done in-house. It helps ensure the PPE fits well and protects the wearer from any hazards associated with their work environment.
The goal of this blog post is to help you understand the importance of face fit testing. Since workplace safety is crucial to your company's success, it is imperative that you conduct this type of evaluation on a regular basis.
Whenever you have a question, please don't hesitate to call our team so we can help you!