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Appendix B
Reviewed January 2007
General Requirements:
The employer
shall conduct fit testing using the following procedures. The requirements in this
appendix apply to all OSHA-accepted fit test methods, both QLFT and QNFT.
The test
subject shall be allowed to pick the most acceptable respirator from a sufficient number
of respirator models and sizes so that the respirator is acceptable to, and correctly
fits, the user.
Prior to the
selection process, the test subject shall be shown how to put on a respirator, how it
should be positioned on the face, how to set strap tension and how to determine an
acceptable fit. A mirror shall be available to assist the subject in evaluating the
fit and positioning of the respirator. This instruction may not constitute the
subject's formal training on respirator use, because it is only a review.
The test
subject shall be informed that he/she is being asked to select the respirator that
provides the most acceptable fit. Each respirator represents a different size and
shape, and will provide adequate protection if it is fitted and used properly.
The test
subject shall be instructed to hold each chosen facepiece up to the face and eliminate
those that obviously do not give an acceptable fit.
The more
acceptable facepieces are noted in case the one selected proves unacceptable. The
most comfortable mask is donned and worn at least five minutes to assess comfort.
Assistance in assessing comfort can be given by discussing the points in the following
paragraphs g and h. If the test subject is not familiar with using a particular
respirator, the test subject shall be directed to don the mask several times and to adjust
the straps each time to become adept at setting proper tension on the straps.
-
Assessment of
comfort shall include a review of the following points with the test subject and allowing
the test subject adequate time to determine the comfort of the respirator:
-
Position of
the mask on the nose
-
Room for eye
protection
-
Room to talk
-
Position of
the mask on face and cheeks
-
The following
criteria shall be used to help determine the adequacy of the respirator fit:
-
Chin properly
placed
-
Adequate
strap tension--not overly tightened
-
Fit across
nose bridge
-
Respirator of
proper size to span distance from nose to chin
-
Tendency of
respirator to slip
-
Self-observation
in mirror to evaluate fit and respirator position
-
The test
subject shall conduct a user seal check, either the negative and positive pressure seal
checks described in Appendix A, or those recommended by the
respirator manufacturer, which provide equivalent protection to the procedures in Appendix
A.
-
Before
conducting the negative and positive pressure checks, the subject shall be told to seat
the mask on the face by moving the head from side-to-side and up and down slowly while
taking in a few slow, deep breaths.
-
Another facepiece shall be selected and retested
if the test subject fails the user seal check tests.
-
The test
shall not be conducted if there is any hair growth between the skin and the facepiece
sealing surface, such as stubble beard growth, beard, mustache or sideburns that cross the
respirator sealing surface. Any type of apparel that interferes with a satisfactory
fit shall be altered or removed.
-
If a test
subject exhibits difficulty in breathing during the tests, he/she shall be referred to a
physician or other licensed health care professional, as appropriate, to determine if the
test subject can wear a respirator while performing his/her duties.
-
If the
employee finds the fit of the respirator unacceptable, the test subject shall be given the
opportunity to select a different respirator and to be retested.
-
Exercise
Regimen: Prior to the commencement of the fit test, the test subject shall be
given a description of the fit test and the test subject's responsibilities during the
test procedure. The description of the process shall include a description of the
test exercises that the subject will be performing. The respirator to be tested
shall be worn for at least 5 minutes before the start of the fit test.
-
The fit test
shall be performed while the test subject is wearing any applicable safety equipment that
may be worn during actual respirator use that could interfere with respirator fit.
-
Test
Exercises: The following test exercises are to be performed for all fit testing
methods prescribed in this appendix. The test subject shall perform these exercises
(in the test environment) in the following manner:
-
Normal
breathing: In a normal standing position, without talking, the subject shall
breathe normally.
-
Deep
breathing: In a normal standing position, the subject shall breathe slowly and
deeply taking caution so as to not hyperventilate.
-
Turning
head side-to-side: Standing in place, the subject shall slowly turn his/her
head from side to side between the extreme positions on each side. The head shall be
held at each extreme momentarily so the subject can inhale at each side.
-
Moving
head up and down: Standing in place, the subject shall slowly move his/her head
up and down. The subject shall be instructed to inhale in the up position (i.e.,
when looking toward the ceiling).
-
Talking:
The subject shall talk out loud slowly and loud enough so as to be heard clearly by the
test conductor. The subject can read from a prepared text such as the Rainbow
Passage, count backward from 100, or recite a memorized poem or song:
Rainbow
Passage:
When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act like a prism and form a rainbow.
The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These
take the shape of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently
beyond the horizon. There is, according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end.
People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond
reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
-
Grimace:
The test subject shall grimace by smiling or frowning. (This applies only to QNFT
testing; it is not performed for QLFT.)
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Bending
over: The test subject shall bend at the waist as if he/she were to touch
his/her toes. Jogging in place shall be substituted for this exercise in those test
environments such as shroud-type QNFT or QLFT units that do not permit bending over at the
waist.
-
Normal
breathing: Same as exercise #1
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Each test
exercise shall be performed for one minute except for the grimace exercise, which shall be
performed for 15 seconds. The test subject shall be questioned by the test conductor
regarding the comfort of the respirator upon completion of the protocol. If it has
become unacceptable, another model of respirator shall be tried. The respirator
shall not be adjusted once the fit test exercises begin. Any adjustment voids the
test, and the fit test must be repeated.
PortaCount Plus™ Fit Test
Requirements
-
Check the respirator to make sure
the sampling probe and line are properly attached to the facepiece and that the respirator
is fitted with a particulate filter capable of preventing significant penetration by the
ambient particles used for the fit test (e.g., NIOSH 42 CFR 84 series 100, series 99, or
series 95 particulate filter) per manufacturer's instruction.
-
Instruct the person to be tested to
don the respirator for five minutes before the fit test starts. This purges the
ambient particles trapped inside the respirator and permits the wearer to make certain the
respirator is comfortable. This individual shall already have been trained on how to
wear the respirator properly.
-
Check the following conditions for
the adequacy of the respirator fit:
Chin properly placed;
Adequate strap tension, not overly tightened;
Fit across nose bridge;
Respirator of proper size to span distance from nose to chin;
Tendency of the respirator to slip;
Self-observation in a mirror to evaluate fit and respirator position.
-
Have the person wearing the
respirator to do a user seal check. If leakage is detected, determine the cause.
If leakage is from a poorly fitting facepiece, try another size of the same model
respirator or another model of respirator.
-
Follow the manufacturer's
instructions for operating the PortaCount and proceed with the test.
-
The test subject shall be instructed
to perform the exercises in this appendix.
-
After the test exercises, the test
subject shall be questioned by the test conductor regarding the comfort of the respirator
upon completion of the protocol. If it has become unacceptable, another model of
respirator shall be tried.
-
Portacount Test Instrument
-
The PortaCount will automatically
stop and calculate the overall fit factor for the entire set of exercises. The
overall fit factor is what counts. The Pass or Fail message will indicate whether or
not the test was successful. If the test was a Pass, the fit test is over.
-
Since the pass or fail criterion of
the PortaCount is user programmable, the test operator shall ensure that the pass or fail
criterion meet the requirements for minimum respirator performance listed in this
Appendix.
-
A record of the test needs to be
kept on file, assuming the fit test was successful. The record must contain the test
subject's name, overall fit factor, make, model, style and size of respirator used, and
the date tested.
Qualitative Fit Test (QLFT) Irritant Smoke (Stannic Chloride)
Protocol
-
General QLFT Requirements
-
The employer shall ensure that
persons administering QLFT are able to prepare test solutions, calibrate equipment and
perform tests properly, recognize invalid tests, and ensure that test equipment is in
proper working order.
-
The employer shall ensure that QLFT
equipment is kept clean and well maintained so as to operate within the parameters for
which it was designed.
-
This qualitative fit test uses a
person's response to the irritating chemicals released in the "smoke" produced
by a stannic chloride ventilation smoke tube to detect leakage into the respirator.
-
General Requirements and Precautions
for Irritant Smoke QLFT
-
The respirator to be tested shall be
equipped with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) or P100 series filter(s).
-
Only stannic chloride smoke tubes
shall be used for this protocol.
-
No form of test enclosure or hood
for the test subject shall be used.
-
The smoke can be irritating to the
eyes, lungs and nasal passages. The test conductor shall take precautions to
minimize the test subject's exposure to irritant smoke. Sensitivity varies, and
certain individuals may respond to a greater degree to irritant smoke. Care shall be
taken when performing the sensitivity screening checks that determine whether the test
subject can detect irritant smoke to use only the minimum amount of smoke necessary to
elicit a response from the test subject.
-
The fit test shall be performed in
an area with adequate ventilation to prevent exposure of the person conducting the fit
test or the build-up of irritant smoke in the general atmosphere.
-
Sensitivity Screening Check.
The person to be tested must demonstrate his or her ability to detect a weak concentration
of the irritant smoke.
-
The test operator shall break both
ends of a ventilation smoke tube containing stannic chloride and attach one end of the
smoke tube to a low-flow air pump set to deliver 200 milliliters per minute, or an
aspirator squeeze bulb. The test operator shall cover the other end of the smoke
tube with a short piece of tubing to prevent potential injury from the jagged end of the
smoke tube.
-
The test operator shall advise the
test subject that the smoke can be irritating to the eyes, lungs and nasal passages and
instruct the subject to keep his/her eyes closed while the test is performed.
-
The test subject shall be allowed to
smell a weak concentration of the irritant smoke before the respirator is donned to become
familiar with its irritating properties and to determine if he/she can detect the
irritating properties of the smoke. The test operator shall carefully direct a small
amount of the irritant smoke in the test subject's direction to determine that he/she can
detect it.
-
Irritant Smoke Fit Test Procedure
-
The person being fit tested shall
don the respirator without assistance and perform the required user seal check(s).
-
The test subject shall be instructed
to keep his/her eyes closed.
-
The test operator shall direct the
stream of irritant smoke from the smoke tube toward the face seal area of the test
subject, using the low-flow pump or the squeeze bulb. The test operator shall begin
at least 12 inches from the facepiece and move the smoke stream around the whole perimeter
of the mask. The operator shall gradually make two more passes around the perimeter
of the mask, moving to within six inches of the respirator.
-
If the person being tested has not
had an involuntary response and/or detected the irritant smoke, proceed with the test
exercises.
-
The exercises identified in this
appendix shall be performed by the test subject while the respirator seal is being
continually challenged by the smoke being directed around the perimeter of the respirator
at a distance of six inches.
-
If the person being fit tested
reports detecting the irritant smoke at any time, the test is failed. The person
being retested must repeat the entire sensitivity check and fit test procedure.
-
Each test subject passing the
irritant smoke test without evidence of a response (involuntary cough, irritation) shall
be given a second sensitivity screening check with the smoke from the same smoke tube used
during the fit test (once the respirator has been removed) to determine whether he/she
still reacts to the smoke. Failure to evoke a response shall void the fit test.
-
If a response is produced during the
second sensitivity check, then the fit test is passed.
Appendix A |
Appendix B |
Appendix C |
Appendix D |
User Seal
Check Instructions
(Fit Check) |
Fit Test Procedures for Tight-Fitting Respirator Masks |
Definition
of Terms |
OSHA
Respirator Medical Evaluation
Questionnaire |
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