FIT TESTING

We also offer respirator kits, respirator cartridges, and replacement pieces to properly maintain and test your respirator.

From complete fit test solutions to replacement parts, PK Safety carries everything you need to ensure that you stay compliant in situations where a perfect fit is important. If you’re looking for product recommendations or general respirator fit testing advice, contact one of PK Safety’s safety personnel. Otherwise, browse our fit test kit items below. More information on individual products is available on their pages.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What does a respirator fit test kit include?

A fit test kit includes a fit test solution (bitrex or saccharin), a nebulizer bulb, a fit test hood, and instructions to help workers learn proper protocols.

The fit test solutions typically come in sealed vials (ampules) that contain the testing chemicals. These vials are designed to be used with an applicator tip, which can be easily inserted into the opening of a nebulizer for proper solution delivery.

The wearer of the respirator then applies a fit test hood, and the sensitivity solution is sprayed into the hood. This process helps identify any risk of exposure to contaminants or chemicals and ensures an accurate sample is taken during testing.

Other test agents also include isoamyl acetate (banana smell), which tests respirators with organic vapor cartridges, and irritant smoke (involuntary cough reflex) that tests respirators with level 100 particulate filters.

OSHA requires qualitative or quantitative fit testing before wearing a respirator on the job. Qualitative fit tests (QLFT) may only be used to fit-test:

• Negative-pressure, air-purifying respirators are used only in atmospheres where the hazard is at less than 10 times the permissible exposure limit (PEL)
• Tight-fitting facepieces used with powered and atmosphere-supplying respirators

Passing or failing the QLFT relies on the user’s senses using one of the four OSHA-accepted test agents mentioned above. Each method uses seven exercises performed for one minute: normal breathing, deep breathing, moving the head side to side, moving the head up and down, bending over (or jogging in place), talking, and normal breathing again. These exercises are crucial for the prevention of respiratory hazards and are suitable for adults in various workplace environments.

Quantitative fit tests (QNFT) can be used to test tight-fitting respirators and involve using an instrument to measure leakage around the face seal and produce a numerical result known as a “fit factor”. There are three OSHA-accepted occupational safety QNFT test protocols:

• Generated aerosol uses a non-hazardous aerosol, such as corn oil, generated in a test chamber
• The condensation nuclei counter (CNC) uses ambient aerosol and doesn’t require a test chamber
• Controlled negative pressure (CNP) uses a test that creates a vacuum by temporarily cutting off air

QNFTs use the same seven exercises as QLFTs. It also includes an additional “grimace” test where the wearer smiles or frowns for 15 seconds. A fit factor of at least 100 is required for half-mask respirators and a minimum fit factor of 500 for full facepiece negative-pressure respirators.

How do you do a respirator qualitative fit test?

If you’re wondering how to perform a respirator fit test, it’s easy and effective to test using a respirator fit test kit like the ones available from PK Safety. The test takes place in two parts: a sensitivity test and a fit test.

The sensitivity test tests the worker’s ability to detect a test solution. This solution will either be sweet or bitter and dispensed via a nebulizer. If the employee hasn’t had anything to eat or drink, except water, and hasn’t chewed gum in at least 15 minutes, they’ll put on a hood and collar and breathe through their mouth with their tongue slightly out when the solution is administered. They will then let the test giver know when they taste the fit test solution.

The procedure is very much the same for the actual fit test, except that the employee is wearing a respirator to protect against health hazards. However, during the test, the employee will also be doing movements that simulate what they will be doing at work. For example, they will turn their head from side to side, look up and down, bend over at the waist, read from a passage, and breathe normally.

If these movements can be performed without tasting the fit test solution, they pass the fit test. If not, the fit test kit needs to be removed, the pallet cleansed, and the tests administered again until the proper fit is achieved.

How often is respirator fit testing required?

Fit tests must be done at least annually and additionally when a different respirator is used (size, style, model, or make) and when someone undergoes significant facial changes, such as weight fluctuation or dental work, as this could affect the respirator’s fit. Also, if a worker doesn’t pass the fit test, the test must be re-administered.

Who needs a respirator fit test kit?

Workers who need to wear a tight-fitting facepiece and ensure a tight seal as part of their job need a fit test kit. This is true for workers who use respirators in their day-to-day job responsibilities or for workers responding to emergencies. If you’re working in healthcare as a first responder or in the oil and gas, mining, chemical production, or labs, you almost certainly require a fit test kit. It’s your employer’s responsibility to fit test respirators and make sure employees learn about occupational safety.

A respirator fit test solution ensures that a worker’s respirator forms a tight seal around their face so that potential breathable hazards can’t enter. This can be especially important for workers with small faces or for those with facial hair who might need to make adjustments or wear different respirators than their coworkers. The test helps determine whether contaminants can breach the seal of a mask.