Hi all,

I hope this posts gains some clarification on a murky subject - to aid all and clarify. 

I work for a facilities company. We have 8 engineers that all need to be face fitted. I have read and been given alot of conflciting informaton regarding face fitting. All the information can be interpreted in different ways.

I was looking at doing a Fit2 Fit accredited ’Face fit the Tester’ course thinking this would qualify me to teach our workplace engineers how to face fit themselves correctly, with the admin of testing/signing off face fitting annually in house. It apparently doesnt, but merely teaches the course attendee how to carry out a face fit test on someone - not to teach others how to apply there own masks ? 

HSE state that “Fit testing should be conducted by a competent person. Competence can be demonstrated by accreditation under the Fit2Fit RPE Fit Test Providers Accreditation Scheme. This scheme has been developed by the BSIF, together with industry stakeholders, and is supported by HSE. The scheme is not compulsory and employers are free to take other action to comply with the law”.

I have been told by the BSIF that if  i were to become a Fit2Fit Accredited Fit Tester, that would be sufficient for myself to fit test colleagues face fitments. The Fit2Fit Accreditation does not mean you are trained to teach others, it is purely an accreditation for fit testing.

I now interpret this to mean that all tradesmen and engineers need to go on the face fit test course (gain a certificate) in order to ensure they know how to face fit test themselves. It is not realistic for the only face fit tester to go to each job with engineers and ensure they have fit there masks correctly. 

Let me know everybody thoughts on this including your own interpretation ? 

Fit testing and donning are two separate practices.

We have two trained employees per site where we utilise dust masks and other forms of RPE.

They conduct fit testing for all site users - but not on a shift, daily, or weekly basis.

You seem to be under the impression that each and every time a mask is donned it must be face fit tested - I would be curious to be directed to the legislation that explicity states such.

I face fit test those who require close fitting RPE to a specific make and model to ensure that it fits, part of that training is to show the indiviudal how to put on the RPE and check that it does not leak i.e. pre use leak check test, which they carry out every time they put on that make and model of RPE.

So while I am trained to face fit test, the wearer is only trained in the pre-use checks and where necessary maintenance but not to check their own fitting using the 3M hood (or similar) or fit others.

Hope this helps,

Hi all,

Thankyou all for clarifying. My understanding is now that for a company to be compliant the Fit2Fit Accredited Fit Tester course will enable the course attendee to be the competent person to face fit engineers/construction workers within the company. Training can also be given to the user on how to wear the FPE properly along with the associate checks. Once test is conducted the engineer/construction worker will then receive a copy of the fit testers report from the tester. 

This can be done annually. 

What cant be done is the attempting to train engineers/construction workers to on how to perform the fitting tests on themselves using the 3M hood, sprays etc. 

SHOUT IF THE ABOVE IS WRONG ! Thankyou all once again. These are truely useful forums.

Originally Posted by: 6337sean

I have been told The Fit2Fit Accreditation does not mean you are trained to teach others, it is purely an accreditation for fit testing only.

There is nothing requiring a certificate or otherwise to "train" employees how to don RPE so we come back to "suitable competence" to provide training.

When we switched RPE we had the manufacturers representative provide instruction to the workforce.

Subsequent new starters were then guided by our site face fit testers.

In Construction a experienced Supervisor would normally deal with this issue, normally during the Tool Box Talk or Site Induction, No Legal Requirment to have everyone trained in a FIT2FIT Course. Hope this helps :)