Respirator Fit Testing

In order to prevent some employees from inhaling dangerous particles and vapors, proper respiratory protection must be worn to ensure that there are no leaks or gaps between the respirator and your face. Furthermore,  the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires that Companies have their employee’s respirators validated by an Fit Test.

A respirator is a mask or device worn over your face to cover your mouth and nose. It protects the respiratory system by making sure dangerous substances like bacteria and fumes are not inhaled.  When you work in a job in a field that deals with material like silica dust, asbestos, paint sprays, solvents, or hazardous chemicals, a proper fitting respirator is critical to your health and reduces your risk of cancer, lung damage, lung disease, and possibly death.

In these hazardous atmospheres in the workplace, your employees need to be medically cleared by a doctor to wear a respirator, because it’s a lot harder to breathe when you wear one. If you are cleared for respiratory use, you should have fit testing. People with lung issues like asthma or emphysema may not be able to wear a negative pressure respirator.  In addition, some people experience claustrophobia in a respirator mask and are unable to effectively were a respirator.

Employees will also need proper training to adequately use a respirator to be completely protected from hazardous material. For instance, you need to have your respirator fitted around your glasses and should not have a beard underneath it. There are different negative pressure particulate respirators, and they are usually indicated by a number like N95 or N99.

At Occupational Health Consultants (OHC), we provide both qualitative and quantitative respirator fit testing to ensure your company is in compliance with OSHA.

If you would like to schedule a respirator fit test, please call Occupational Health Consultants at 301-738-6420 to schedule an appointment.