Face Fit Testing
Face Fit Testing is designed to protect workers from harmful chemicals and dust, which can account for up to 13,000 deaths each year. These deaths include work-related lung disease and cancer, which Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) has been designed to protect against.
Recent research indicates that up to 50% of all RPE does not offer the wearer the assumed level of protection, meaning that people could be falling ill and dying for something as simple as not carrying out a face fit test.
Face Fit Testing can:
- Help to ensure that employees are able to work effectively in their masks, without taking unnecessary health risks.
- Help employers not have to face the prospect of expensive enforcement action being taken by the HSE if their workers’ masks don’t offer adequate protection.
- Does any product you use have a danger label?
- Does your process produce gas, fume, dust, mist or vapour?
- Is the substance harmful to breathe in?
- Can the substance harm your skin?
- Is it likely that harm could arise because of the way you use or produce it?
The Legal Bit:
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations includes a requirement that RPE should be both adequate against the hazard, and suitable for the wearer.
In order to ensure suitability for an individual, the initial selection process for all tight-fitting facepieces should include a fit test. Tight-fitting facepieces include all filtering facepieces (FFP1, FFP2, and FFP3 disposables), half masks, and full face masks.
What are you going to do about it?
– USE IT IN ANOTHER, SAFER WAY?
– CONTROL IT TO STOP HARM BEING CAUSED?
– ASK! IF YOU ARE NOT SURE IF YOU NEED TO ORGANISE FACE FIT TESTING, ASK. WE ARE NOT GOING TO SELL YOU SOMETHING YOU DO NOT NEED, BUT WE WILL HELP YOU AND YOUR WORKERS STAY SAFE AND COMPLIANT WITH THE LAW IF YOU DO.
If you are a member of the C2 Retained Safety Partnership, please speak to your Safety Advisor for further details and booking.
Contact us for more details or to arrange your Face Fit testing.
If you are an employer:
Regulation 4, Provision of Personal Protective Equipment, of The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 2022 – Subject to paragraph (1A) every employer shall ensure that suitable personal protective equipment is provided to their workers who may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective.
“But my workers are all self-employed…” You still have to do it.
Regulation 4 Provision of Personal Protective Equipment of The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 2022(2) – Every relevant self-employed person shall ensure that they are provided with suitable personal protective equipment where they may be exposed to a risk to their health or safety while at work except where and to the extent that such risk has been adequately controlled by other means which are equally or more effective.
