Where RPE is used, it must be able to provide adequate protection for individual wearers. RPE can't protect the wearer if it leaks. A major cause of leaks is poor fit – tight-fitting facepieces need to fit the wearer’s face to be effective.

As people come in all sorts of shapes and sizes it is unlikely that one particular type or size of RPE facepiece will fit everyone. Fit testing will ensure that the equipment selected is suitable for the wearer (from HSE website - and also used in my companies current info pack on use of RPE)

The issue is, with my experience, 50% of people or more may fail the face fit test with a disposable mask (due to design, face shape or fitting / straps and nose bridge).

As such if the mask is meant to providing protection against a potential health risk (drilling = silica / cancer, wood dust / cancer, asbestos?) then it is possible or even likely that the assumed protection given by the mask is well below the 10 or 20 protection factor you may be assuming you have.

If for example you have measured the concentration of your dust and determined you would require a FFP3 (20x WEL) to provide adequate protection to maintain inhaled concentrations below the relevent WEL, and the masks dont fit, it only takes a small gap to allow the dust laiden air in - and as with electricity the air will find the path of least resistance (the gap).

However, if the masks are protecting only against a nusiance dust, with no WEL, or you know the dust concentrations (and can prove) are well below the WEL, but workers for reasons of comfort (reduced temporary irritation) chose to wear a mask for their own comfort, then a face fit test would not be required, but this would be difficult to explain & prove to a HSE inspector.

TLDR, if you have highlighted a mask is necessary to protect your workers, you must make sure it fits.

We had difficulty with face fitting (beards etc) and subsequently half of the workforce would have required the use of an air fed mask. We now use adequate on tool extraction and LEV to reduce to ALARP the level of dust to below the WEL, our employees were involved in and appreciate the combined time effort and expense of the system we installed and we all benefit from it.

FYI

There is a FFP3 'disposable' dust mask where only the filter is disposable. The filter lasts up to a month, dependant on wear and tear, dust levels, etc. Not only is it supposed to be more economical than normal disposable masks, I'm reliably told that it fits much better. For the life of me I cannot remember the product name!

How do you know the guy does the self-test every time? You can’t just issue a mask and tell them to get on with it. Masks are notoriously unreliable, people don’t’ wear them properly (or at all) etc which is why PPE is so low down on the hierarchy of controls. If you are issuing people with any sort of negative pressure face mask the users should carry some sort of self-test anyway, they should be confident that there are no leaks but if you don’t test it first with them, then you only have their word for it that it is working.
The only RPE that does not require a face fit test is the positive pressure type.

Face fit testing establishes two things:
1. That the mask selected ,if it is worn correctly, will provide them an effective level of protection
2. It is an opportunity to talk to individual staff and make sure that they know why they are wearing RPE and how to put it on correctly. I have often come across people who do not know how to put on RPE properly but with a bit of help can be shown how to fit to their own face.
I do not understand the resistance to face fit testing. Remember this mask is all that stands between an individual and a hazardous substance. If it is not fitted correctly you might as well just ask them to hold their breath while they are doing the job.

Tells you everything you need to know and where to find further information.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/fo...s/ocs/200-299/282_28.pdf

With the current trends of full beards being popular as they are, you would have thought that there were readily available systems in place for these guys, I presume that these would be hoods with an forced air system. my stance at the moment, no face fit - no use of potential dust generating tools

I agree with Descartes. Positive pressure hoods are a very good alternative to disposal masks but people see them and think that they are expensive (£100-200 apiece) but remember that disposables are just that and you should be changing them at least every shift ( £4.00 quid each). I suspect that a lot of people get one at the beginning of the week and keep it until it starts to fall apart and only then do they change it.

I personally use one of these:

http://www.trend-uk.com/...respirator_230v_uk_.html

aidy.best1 - you have a PM
Chris

Frank,
Speaking from experience of defending a Liability claim the fact that we carried out fit testing and have signed documents to show the employee had mask training has proven invaluable in defending the case.

It also reinforces the message of why they are expected to wear the mask and helps with compliance of wearing them. I was met with resistance to begin with from managers but over period of time they have noticed a reduction in the amount of employees they have to speak to about wearing masks on a daily basis. I also carry out spot checks to make sure they are wearing the masks correctly and I talk to new starters after a few days to see if the message has sunk in.

Good luck there is lots of info out there to get stuck into.

Jo