1. FIT TESTING

2. Fit Testing Requirements outlined in NFPA – 1404 - SCBA Program
NFPA – 1500 – Health and Safety Program
OSHA - 29 CFR (f)
& Appendix A
ANSI Z88.2 – 1996 – Respiratory Protection

3. NFPA Standards SCBA Program (1404)
Outlines minimum requirements for respiratory protection program
Requires facepiece fit-testing prior to being permitted to use SCBA
Allows qualitative or quantitative
Minimum fit factor of 1000

4. NFPA Standards Occupational Safety and Health Program (1500)
Requires qualitative fit testing on annual basis
Only firefighters with properly fitting facepieces will be allowed into hazardous atmosphere with SCBA

5. OSHA’s Standard Revised in 1998
Public sector employees in non-state plan states (Alabama, Georgia, Florida) are not directly covered
Serves as good guide for Respiratory Protection Program

6. Organization of Standard
(a) Permissible practice
(b) Definitions
(c) Respirator program
(d) Selection of respirators
(e) Medical evaluation
(f) Fit testing
(g) Use of respirators
(h) Maintenance and care
(i) Breathing air quality and use
(j) Identification of filters, cartridges, and canisters
(k) Training and information
(l) Program evaluation
(m) Recordkeeping
(n) Dates
(o) Appendices (mandatory)
A: Fit Testing Procedures
B-1: User Seal Checks
B-2: Cleaning Procedures
C: Medical Questionnaire
D: Information for Employees Wearing Respirators When Not Required Under the Standard
UAB/CLEAR Workplace Safety Training

7. OSHA’s Fit Testing Requirements
Testing required for:
Tight-fitting half and full facepieces
(includes tight-fitting atmosphere-supplying and PAPRs)
Only OSHA-approved methods can be used
Approved fit testing protocols are outlined in Appendix A of the Standard

8. Fit Testing Before initial use At least annually
Retest if there are changes in employee’s physical condition affecting the fit
Dental changes
Obvious change in body weight

9. Qualifications of Fit Tester
Able to set up and calibrate test equipment
Able to maintain test respirators
Familiar with facepiece fitting problems, proper donning, and user seal checking techniques
Able to perform fit tests
Able to determine pass/fail

10. General Procedures Select most comfortable respirator
Hold respirator to face and note most acceptable selection
Show how to don the respirator
Allow user to wear at least 5 minutes

11. General Procedures Assessment of comfort Position of mask on nose
Room for eye protection
Room to talk
Position of mask on face and cheeks

12. General Procedures Determine adequacy of respirator fit
Chin properly placed
Adequate strap tension, not overly tightened
Fit across nose bridge
Proper size to span distance from nose to chin
Tendency of respirator to slip
Self-observation in mirror

13. User Seal Check Negative Pressure Test
Close off the inlet to the cartridge or canister with palm of hand
Inhale slightly and hold the breath
Mask should stay collapsed against the face
If the mask relaxes off the face, reposition and try again

14. User Seal Check Positive Pressure Test
Close off exhalation valve with palm
Exhale gently into the facepiece
Fit is satisfactory if slight positive pressure can be built up inside
Can be useful to locate area of leakage

15. User Seal Check Challenge Agent
Chemical agent dispersed around the facepiece
If detected by the user, reposition mask and try again
Not the same as complete qualitative fit test to be discussed

16. Fit Testing Procedures
OSHA-accepted protocols described in Appendix A
Not to be performed if any hair blocks seal (beard, stubble, sideburns, mustache)
If employee finds fit unacceptable, must be allowed to choose another mask and be refitted
Always include exercises to challenge the fit

17. Exercises Normal breathing Deep breathing Turning head side to side
Moving head up and down
Talking
Grimace (Quantitative only)
Bending over

18. Atmosphere-Supplying Respirators
Tight-fitting facepiece must be tested in negative pressure mode
Regardless of mode of operation
Manufacturer can provide adapter to attach filters for negative pressure test

19. Fit Testing Protocols
Qualitative tests – pass / fail based on users detection of a challenge agent
Quantitative tests – measure the fit and provide a numerical measurement called the fit factor

20. Qualitative Fit Tests QLFT Advantages Disadvantages Inexpensive
Simple to conduct
Disadvantages
Pass / fail only
User must be able to detect agent
Relies on response of the user
Use limited to low exposures requiring protection factors of < 100

21. Qualitative Fit Tests
Can be used for half-mask APRs that are used in exposures less than 10 times the exposure limit
Both OSHA and NFPA allow QLFT for positive pressure atmosphere-supplying respirators

22. Approved QLFT Methods Isoamyl Acetate (IAA) Irritant Smoke
Saccharin Mist
Bitrex

23. Isoamyl Acetate Test Vapor smells like banana flavoring
Protocol involves 2 steps
Screening or Sensitivity
Fit Test in chamber
Requires respirator equipped with organic vapor cartridge
If the odor is detected during fit test, user exits test area and selects a new respirator and tries again.

24. Irritant Smoke Test
Stannic chloride reacts with ambient moisture to form HCl acid smoke
Requires HEPA or P100 series particulate respirator
Causes involuntary response if there is leakage
Use only in open, well-ventilated area (no tents or enclosures)

25. Irritant Smoke Test Still allowed by OSHA and NFPA
NIOSH no longer advises the use of irritant smoke test because of the potential harmful effects of the acid smoke

26. Saccharin Mist Test
Saccharin is dissolved in water and a nebulizer creates a fine mist
Must use HEPA or P100 filter
Two procedures
Sensitivity Test
Fit test
If saccharin is tasted, test fails
No eating, drinking, chewing gum or smoking for 15 minutes before test

27. Saccharin Mist Test User must be able to taste saccharin
Recently published study
Group of people were able to detect saccharin during sensitivity test
9 of 26 (33%) were not able to detect saccharin during testing with a known, fixed leak

28. Bitrex Fit Test Bitter tasting agent Requires HEPA or P100 filter
Follows same protocol as saccharin mist test
Sensitivity Test
Fit Test

29. Quantitative Fit Tests
Advantages
Provides a measurement of the fit
Does not depend on user’s response to challenge agent – objective
Disadvantages
Expensive
Requires trained operators
Require respirators with probes or adapters

30. Acceptable Fit-Testing Methods
QLFT
QNFT
Half-Face, Negative Pressure, APR (<100 fit factor)
Yes
Full-Face, Negative Pressure, APR (<100 fit factor) used in atmospheres up to 10 times the PEL
Full-Face, Negative Pressure, APR (>100 fit factor) No
PAPR
Supplied-Air Respirators (SAR), or SCBA used in Negative Pressure (Demand Mode) (>100 fit factor)
Supplied-Air Respirators (SAR), or SCBA used in Positive Pressure (Pressure Demand Mode)
SCBA - Structural Fire Fighting, Positive Pressure
SCBA/SAR - IDLH, Positive Pressure
Mouthbit Respirators
Fit-testing Not Required
Loose-fitting Respirators (e.g., hoods, helmets)

31. Factor Terms
Fit Factor (FF) – direct result of quantitative respirator fit test
Workplace Protection Factor (WPF) – measured comparison of concentration outside facepiece to the concentration inside the facepiece
Assigned Protection Factor (APF) – Factor a type of respirator will provide 95% of the time established by ANSI and NIOSH

32. Quantitative Fit Tests
Minimum fit factors (OSHA)
100 for half-mask APR
500 for full-face APR
100 for atmosphere-supplying respirators operated in positive pressure mode and powered air purifying respirators
NFPA requires fit factor of 1000 for SCBA

33. Quantitative Fit Tests
Three OSHA-approved methods
Generated Aerosol
Ambient aerosol condensation nuclei counter (Portacount®)
Controlled negative pressure (Dynatec Fit Tester 3000®)

34. Generated Aerosol
Aerosol generated from corn oil, polyethylene glycol [PEG 400], or sodium chloride
Particles are dispersed into a test chamber
Facepieces have probes that allow air sampling inside the facepiece
Concentration in test chamber (outside) is compared to concentration in facepiece (inside)

35. Condensation Nuclei Counter
Probes collect ambient dust particles outside and inside the respirator facepiece
Inside the fit tester, alcohol is condensed onto ambient dust particles
Particles pass thru laser beam and produce flashes of light which are counted

37. TSI Portacount

38. Controlled Negative Pressure
Fit tester draws and holds a negative pressure inside the facepiece while user holds breath
Leakage flow rate indicated by pump flow rate needed to maintain negative pressure
Leakage flow rate is compared to normal breathing rate to produce equivalent fit factor
UAB/CLEAR Workplace Safety Training