Everyone required to wear any type of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) in the workplace must be face fit tested to ensure correct fitting and protection against substances potentially hazardous to health. Face fit testing is a legal requirement for anyone who wears a tight or close fitting mask for work. Employers have a legal responsibility
Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is a particular type of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), used to protect the individual wearer against the inhalation of hazardous substances in the workplace air. RPE should only be used where adequate control of exposure cannot be achieved by other means, in other words, as a last resort within the hierarchy
Significant growth has been seen in the awareness of face fit testing since its introduction to the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) 2002 Regulations. COSHH covers chemicals, products containing chemicals, fumes dusts, vapours, mists and gases, and biological agents. In July 2005, a European Standard was approved by the Comité European de Normalisation
Face fit testing is a method of checking that a tight-fitting facepiece matches the wearer’s facial features and seals adequately to the face. It also identifies unsuitable facepieces. It is a quick and simple way of assessing whether tight fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE) does or doesn’t create an effective seal around the wearer’s face.
Recent research indicates that up to 50% of all respiratory protective equipment (RPE) used does not offer the wearer the level of protection expected and one of the main reasons is that it simply does not fit. Under the regulations RPE must be correctly selected and tested by a competent test provider. There are two
Yes, it is. Face fit testing is a legal requirement for anyone who wears a close-fitting mask at work. The law requires employers to prevent or control the exposure of employees to hazardous substances at work. Considerable growth has been seen in the awareness of face fit testing since its introduction to the COSHH (Control
Recent Comments