FIT TESTING

Fit Testing Requirements outlined in NFPA – 1404 - SCBA Program NFPA – 1500 – Health and Safety Program OSHA - 29 CFR 1910.134(f) & Appendix A ANSI Z88.2 – 1996 – Respiratory Protection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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

TSI Portacount

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