Insulate Magazine Issue 15

The only independent insulation industry trade magazine
Insulate Columnist
The Importance
of Face Fit Testing
Insulate Magazine columnist George Elliott, a technical specialist at science-based technology company 3M, explains the importance
of fit testing respiratory protective equipment
Respiratory protective
equipment (RPE) is critical
for many insulation activities
including protecting against
fine glass fibres while cutting
materials and avoiding dust hazards
when using a grinder – but
tight-fitting respirators must fit
properly.
The most common forms of RPE
are disposable and full or half-face
reusable respirators. These can be
suitable in a number of applications
but for these respirators to work
effectively, they must create an
adequate seal to the wearer’s face.
If this seal leaks, the wearer risks
breathing in unfiltered, potentially
hazardous contaminants in the air.
Even facial hair can affect this
seal, which is why the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) stipulates
that those who wear tight-fitting
respirators must be clean shaven
under the area of the face seal.
Respiratory face fit testing ensures
that a chosen piece of equipment is
capable of sealing adequately to a
particular individual.
Testing should be carried out at the
earliest opportunity, before being
worn in hazardous environments. It
is also vital that face fit testing is undertaken
while the user is wearing
other Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) required in their daily
work that may interfere with the seal
of the RPE.
For example, people wearing respirators
and protective eyewear often
adjust the seal of their respirator to
accommodate their eyewear or to
make it feel more comfortable, but
this can significantly reduce the level
of protection as it may no longer
provide an adequate seal to the
face.
The importance of
Hearing Protection Equipment
(HPE)
While working in a noisy environment
- such as in the midst of a
busy construction project or on a
workshop floor - workers may have
to wear ear protection at all times.
The Control of Noise at Work Regulations
(2005) require employers
to prevent or reduce risks to health
and safety from exposure to noise
at work[i].
Why is fit testing so important?
The consequences of using ineffective
RPE can be seriously harmful
for an individual, and also have an
effect on the business should an
employee wish to take action. According
to the HSE, some 12,000
people die each year as a result of
occupational respiratory diseases,
of which about two-thirds are
due to asbestos-related diseases
or chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD).
Appropriately fitting RPE is essential
in protecting against chemicals,
dust and glass fibres when cutting
insulation and mixing renders. The
fumes given off by welding and hot
cutting processes is a varying mixture
of airborne gases and very fine
particles, which if inhaled can cause
a number of respiratory diseases
including asthma and cancer.
How to test
In-house testing using a qualitative
taste test is common practice for
users of disposable respirators and
reusable half masks. This method
involves placing a hood over the
user’s head while they are wearing
their RPE and other PPE, then
spraying a fine mist of either a bitter
or a sweet-tasting solution into the
enclosed hood. During the test, if
the person can taste the mist, the
RPE is judged not to have formed
an adequate seal to the wearer’s
face and, therefore, the test is failed.
Two fails with the same item of RPE
usually indicates that the product
cannot provide an adequate seal
and, therefore, an alternative model
of RPE should be considered and fit
tested.
If the wearer cannot taste the mist
during the test, they have passed
the qualitative fit test.
Frequency
Fit testing should be done on a
periodic basis, or whenever there
is a change that might affect RPE
performance.
16
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