Where employees have to use Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE), you must ensure it protects each individual. Faces come in all sizes and shapes, which makes it impossible to recommend a single RPE face piece type or size for everyone. Respirator fit testing Gold Coast services ensure that the equipment used is suitable for that wearer.
A leak in RPE does not provide the wearer protection against breathing in airborne particles and dust. Removing the risk of such particles getting into the employee’s system is critical for the prevention of respiratory-related disease and illness, according to this occupational physician Perth clinic. Such conditions include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), occupation asthma, silicosis, and lung cancer.
Under the Australian Standard 1715 (Respiratory Protection), respiratory fit testing must be included in an organisation’s respiratory protection program. The RPE should not require over-tightening to maintain a tight seal.
The legislative requirements
Employers in harmonised states full under the Work Health and Safety Regulation of 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Act of 2011. While both do not call for respirator fit testing as a requirement, but they guide several areas, including:
- Recommending that fit tests be conducted in line with Standard 1715
- Fit testing masks before starting work and annually
- That all respirators be worn according to manufacturer specifications
Who should be tested?
Besides your regular drug and alcohol testing Brisbane program, employees should also be fit tested to ensure their face pieces provide an effective seal when:
- They have to wear tight-fitting respirators as part of their daily work routine
- Your employees require a respirator to perform emergency activities
The seal ensures the respirator offers each wearer maximum protection when they require it. Fit testing verifies if your employee is using the right respirator make, model, and size. It is also a chance to train employees on the proper use of the respirator and make sure that it fits comfortably.
Some respirators that require to be fit tested are:
- Filtering N95 facepieces
- Half-face respirators
- Full-face respirators
- Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
How respiratory fit testing is done
If an employee wears additional Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) or prescription glasses while working, staff from a certified occupational health clinic will need them worn during the fit test. Heavy clothing, visors, earmuffs, and hardhats may interfere with the respirator’s fit.
The respirator fit test can help employees understand how everything comes together with PPE. Sometimes, respirator users will be asked to shave clean for the first test and while using the respirator.
Understanding quantitative fit testing
Quantitative fit testing utilises a machine to measure real-time leakage in a facepiece. The method does not rely on an employee’s sense of irritation, smell, or taste to detect leaks. Instead, respirator fit testing Gold Coast experts use probes inside the facepiece. These probes then connect to a machine for data analysis.
Wearers must be tested using the same make, model, style, and size of respirator they intend to use in your workplace. Quantitative fit tests should be done at least once a year to ensure the respirator fits the employee.
Benefits of quantitative fit testing include:
- Unlimited protection security
- Does not require a harmful and hood test operator
- A confirmed check provides faultless proof that the RPE is working
- It is easy to use and offers accurate results
- The test subject can not cheat positive results
- Ensures total mask testing
- Works in less than three minutes
Conclusion
The importance of protecting your employees against the adverse effects of inhaling hazardous fumes and dust is not a new subject. However, it is important to emphasise that respirator fit testing Gold Coast services are not only about fulfilling industry requirements. It is a critical component to ensuring each individual has RPE that ticks the performance box to increase its effectiveness.
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