I do the face fit testing for our site using the nebulisers etc and I was told by our supplier something similar but whoever does the testing will need to be competent. I think that they need to: 1. Be familiar with the sort of masks that they come across 2. Know how to fit them correctly, I am surprised how many people put on a face mask incorrectly including one guy who used to wear his upside down! 3. Careful when you record the results of the tests- check the HSE site for recommendations on what to record. 4. Don’t expect the masks to fit every one, there is a huge variation in sizes and shapes of faces and some chin less wonders are a nightmare to fit correctly. So always look at alternative types of mask. If you want there is a course run by the HSL about this see http://www.hsl.gov.uk/tr...troductory-workshop.aspx

We purchased a rather expensive piece of equipment, from TSI (Portacount) to enable us to carry out in house face fit testing ourselves. Our team is made up of Certified Competent Persons (Asbestos), however I was challenged that our tests were not independent. This was stated by the HSE Inspector, so we now have to go out and use a supplier of consumables to carry out our tests. Are these competent to do this? I doubt it. At the time of the HSE visit, there was no such scheme that existed to accredit individual users of the equipment (portacount). Now I think there is, via HSL. Just a word of caution on disposable face masks. It's extremely difficult to achieve a face fit for these, they leak. The half mask, single or ideally twin cartridge are better fits. The only problem is that they are not so discreet, so if you are working in a care home, for example, you are not scaring everyone walking passed a window, about to sample a suspect asbestos sample wearing a respirator.

There is no formal qualification for Face Fit Testing but, as suggested, there is a need to demonstrate competency. There are many courses available for this - I recently attended one given by the Health and Safety Laboroatories (HSL) which was excellent (see A Kurdziel's link). There is great guidance for this in HSG53 "Respiratory protective equipment at work: A practical guide" Also look at OC 282/28 "FIT TESTING OF RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT FACEPIECES" Note that you will be OK for testing by Qualitative methods for P3 for a filtering facepiece or half face mask only - not a full fask mask respirator - for this you would need to use quantitative methods like the Portacount system (expensive - as Birchall31628 suggests). Although there is no requirement for competency, as stated, there is a scheme that promotes competency in this area - Fit 2 Fit (www.fit2fit.org/) - this is backed by HSE and BSIF. This is something worth considering worth attaining as i'm sure this will become an industry standard in the coming years.