Employers urged to get workforce face-fit tested

As people’s faces differ in shape and size, Arco says it is unlikely that one particular type or size of RPE face-piece will fit every individual. Face-fit testing checks that the equipment selected is suitable for the wearer.

Arco is a member of Fit2Fit, an accreditation scheme set up by the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) to confirm the competency of any person performing face piece fit testing.

The company conducts training and testing on two methods; quantitative and qualitative, both of which result in matching an individual’s face shape with a compatible mask to ensure that a tight seal is achieved. For disposable and half face masks, the qualitative method can be used, which involves the use of a bitter solution sprayed into a test hood. If the individual can taste the solution, it is deemed as a break in the mask’s seal. The quantitative method is employed for all tight fitting RPE (disposables, half masks and full face masks) and involves the use of a particle counting machine and probe to measure contamination levels inside the mask compared with the external environment.

The Arco Training & Consultancy team also provides on site air monitoring, COSHH awareness courses, and training on confined spaces, how to use self-contained breathing apparatus, gas tight suits, positive pressure RPE and negative pressured RPE.