Fit Testing Procedure - General Requirements
Provided by:
Heather Baes
Industrial Hygienist
Pharmacia & Upjohn
Kalamazoo, Mi 49001
616-833-7596
z9hlbaes@am.pnu.com
1. Show employee the proper way to don a respirator, proper
positioning, strap tension, and determining if there is an acceptable fit.
2. Let employee select the respirator they want from a variety of
models and sizes.
a. Tell employee they are being allowed to select their own
respirator in order to get a good and comfortable fit.
b. Tell employee to place different masks of different sizes to their
face in order to find a mask that has a good fit.
3. Have employee put on the chosen mask and wear for 5 minutes in
order to assess comfort.
A. When assessing comfort, ask about:
a. Position on the nose
b. Room for eye protection (have them put on eye protection)
c. Room to talk
d. Position on face and cheeks
4. Determine adequacy of respirator fit by checking:
a. Chin placement
b. Strap tension
c. Fit across nose bridge
d. Size of mask - goes from nose to chin
e. Look in mirror for self-observation
5. Have employee move head up and down and side to side while taking
slow deep breaths in order to seat the mask on face. Employee conducts
user seal check.
A. Positive pressure check
B. Negative pressure check
a. Close off inlet opening of canister or cartridge by covering
with palm of hand, or by replacing the filter seals
b. Inhale gently until facepiece collapses slightly
6. Fit testing exercises
a. Normal breathing - 1 minute
b. Deep breathing - 1 minute (slow deep breaths in order not to
hyperventilate)
c. Turn head from side to side - inhale at each side - 1 minute
d. Move head up an down - inhale in the up position - 1 minute
e. Talk - Read prepared text, count backward from 100 or recite a
memorized poem
f. Bend over - at waist, pretend touching toes, or jogging in place -
1 minute
g. Normal breathing - 1 minute
Bitrex Solution Qualitative Fit Test Procedure
1. Taste threshold screening
a. Performed without wearing a respirator
b. Have employee put fit test hood on
c. Have employee breathe through mouth with tongue extended
d. Spray threshold check solution into the hood - ten rapid squeezes,
fully pressing on bulb and letting it completely expand
e. If employee tastes the Bitrex, record number of squeezes (ten no
matter how many actually squeezed)
f. If employee does not taste Bitrex, add ten more squeezes of Bitrex.
g. If employee now tastes the Bitrex, record number of squeezes
(twenty no matter how many actually squeezed)
h. Continue until reach 30 squeezes, if employee cannot taste the
Bitrex, they have no sensitivity to it, therefore cannot be fit tested
with it, dismiss
employee until can fit test with different solution
i. Have employee remember the taste for reference during the fit test
2. Aerosol fit test procedure
a. Insure employee has not eaten, drank, chewed gum, or smoked for at
least 15 minutes before the test
b. Have employee don respirator and hood
c. Have employee breathe through mouth with tongue extended
d. Inform employee to notify you if the taste of Bitrex is detected
e. Squeeze Bitrex into hood using same number of squeezes necessary
during taste threshold screening
f. Have employee perform the following exercises:
1. Normal breathing - 1 minute
2. Deep breathing - 1 minute (slow deep breaths in order not to
hyperventilate)
3. Turn head from side to side - inhale at each side - 1 minute
4. Move head up an down - inhale in the up position - 1 minute
5. Talk - Read prepared text, count backward from 100 or recite a
memorized poem
6. Bend over - at waist, pretend touching toes, or jogging in place
- 1 minute
7. Normal breathing - 1 minute
g. Replenish aerosol every 30 seconds with half the number of
squeezes necessary during the threshold screening (5, 10, 15)
h. If employee does not report the taste of Bitrex, the test is
passed.
i. If the taste of Bitrex is detected, the test is failed and the
employee must start over (threshold screening AND fit testing) with a
new respirator
|