When you work in the asbestos removal industry, or your work requires you to handle asbestos in any capacity, you’re likely familiar with the many different personal protective equipment (PPE) you must wear to keep yourself and others safe.

Alongside coveralls and disposable boot covers, respirators are crucial for preventing the accidental inhalation of asbestos particles that may make you sick. Ensure your respirator is up to this task by investing in respirator fit testing. This fast, easy process may provide you with much-needed peace of mind.

 

What is Face Fit Testing?

Everyone’s face is different, which can sometimes mean that the respirator you purchase for asbestos removal is not appropriately fitted to your face the first time you put it on.

Fit testing involves making sure the seal between your face and the facepiece of the respirator is correct and meets Australian New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1715:2009. These tests also ensure that you’re protected from exposure to hazardous substances like chemicals, dust, and fumes, along with infectious particles.

 

What’s Involved in a Fit Test for Asbestos Respirators?

It’s easy to assume that what feels like a tight seal when you put a respirator on your face is a tight seal, but that’s not always the case. Testing experts, undertake a series of tests within a half-hour period to ensure the most appropriate mask for your job is safe for your needs. There are two possible testing types, depending on your line of work: qualitative and quantitative.

 

Qualitative Fit Tests

Qualitative fit tests are suitable for negative-pressure, air-purifying respirators for use in environments with hazards less than 10x the exposure standard allowed in workplaces. Qualitative tests also suit the tight-fitting facepieces you use with powered and atmosphere-supplying respirators.

This particular test operates with a pass or fail system, with a pass based on whether you could taste or smell the testing agents.

Fit testing businesses test your seal using a banana smell (isoamyl acetate), which is suitable for people using organic vapour cartridges in their respirators. They also perform a taste test with sweet and bitter tastes known as Saccharin and Bitrex® to test respirators with any particulate filters.

These tests are straightforward, with the respirator wearer being asked to breathe normally, breathe heavily, move their head up and down and side to side, jog on the spot, bend over, and talk.

 

Quantitative Fit Tests

Quantitative respirator fit tests are slightly different from qualitative fit tests as they involve using special instruments to test for leakages on full face and tight-fitting respirators. The tools provide a numerical result known as a fit factor, which determines if a respirator is adequately sealed.

A half-mask respirator requires a fit factor of a minimum of 100, while full-face respirators need at least 500.

 

What to Expect During a Face Fit Test

After enlisting the services of a face fit test provider, you might be curious about what you can expect when the testing process is about to get underway. Before testing begins, you will likely be contacted so the company can learn more about your respirators and brands. If none are currently in use, one may be provided for the test.

All tests take around half an hour, and it’s important not to eat or drink anything other than water half an hour before your test. Being clean-shaven is also essential.

You will learn about whether you’ve passed or failed at your appointment so that you can take action to ensure you’ve got a safe respirator for future jobs.

 

When to Get Fit Testing in NZ

Fit testing is an important undertaking to ensure your safety on a worksite where ACM can be present. Generally, it’s carried out when someone starts wearing respirators for the first time, but other situations call for these tests to be carried out.

You might have changed the brand and respirator type you use, and you now need to make sure your new model fits as perfectly as your old one. Losing and gaining weight is also another common reason why people get fit tested.

Annual testing may be something your business recommends, so contact your local fit testing provider to book a test for yourself or your employees.

 

How to Ensure a Tight Respirator Fit

Aside from regular fit testing to ensure a tight fit for hazardous materials like asbestos, there are things you can do each time you wear your respirator for peace of mind. Put your hands over the filters or the mask and breathe in. The mask should pull in towards your face.

Next, cover the breathing-out valves and breathe out hard. A tight-fitting mask should bulge but not leak. If you notice that the mask leaks after breathing out hard, adjust the straps. Any further leaking may require you to change your respirator or undergo professional testing.

 

Book a Respirator Fit Test Today

A tight-fitting respirator can be crucial for your health and well-being. If you’ve never had your mask or respirator professionally checked, now might be the right time to find out more about this service and make your booking.