Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Face Fit Testing
Working on a job that involves handling of hazardous materials? From factories, laboratory environments, industrial and construction sites, to medical workrooms, there comes a ton of workspaces that suggest possible risks to employees and clients alike.
Sure, while individuals may be provided with quality Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE), it is unlikely that the selected gear will provide optimal protection to each of them given that every individual has his own unique facial features that may affect the fitting of the equipment.
Fortunately, with a procedure called “Mask Fit Testing,” employers can now ensure that the selected gear is suitable for each of their workers. If it’s your first time to encounter such a term, here is everything you need to know about this fit test.
What is Mask Fit Testing?
Also referred to as Face Fit Testing, this procedure refers to the process of checking whether a selected respiratory protective equipment provides optimal levels of protection to the wearer.
Generally, this could come in two types: the qualitative fit test and the quantitative fit test.
Qualitative Fit Test
Described to be a subjective test, the qualitative fit test refers to the method of checking the quality of respiratory protection equipment based on the wearer’s ability to taste or smell something.
During this review, the wearer is to use the selected protective gear, along with a headcover above his head. To test whether the gear provides adequate protection to the wearer, a fitness tester will spray a sweet or bitter substance into the hood and ask whether the wearer can taste or smell the substance.
Quantitative Fit Test
While the former is a subjective type, the quantitative fit test is an objective type of fit test. During this method, a particle counting device is to be used by an authorized fit tester to measure the inward leakage around the face of the wearer while using the respiratory protection equipment.
As part of the test, users are also instructed to perform seven to eight movements for every minute to determine the overall personal fit factor of a certain gear.
Advantages of Undergoing Respirator Fit Test
- It can shield you from hazardous materials.
- It will keep the place sterile.
- It will provide you comfort (an unfit mask can bring discomfort to its wearer).
- It will prevent the spread of airborne disease.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re in the medical or construction field, wearing a mask remains to be a must to ensure a safe and nurturing workspace. Be sure to know more about respirator test by reaching out to the nearest respiratory protection specialist in your area today.
