What Employers Need Workers to Do Before Every Use

A successful fit test does not mean an employee can put on a mask or respirator months later and assume the seal is still correct.

Workers should perform the manufacturer-specified user seal check each time they put on a tight-fitting mask or respirator.

Employers need to make sure they know how.

That emphasis on understanding is personal to MaskFit+. Our family background in nursing and education is one reason practical instruction remains part of the session, never an afterthought.

Fit Testing and Seal Checks Do Different Jobs

A fit test confirms whether a specific mask or respirator fits a specific employee under the formal testing procedure.

A user seal check is the routine check performed when the mask or respirator is put on.

It helps the worker notice immediate problems such as:

• twisted or loose straps
• poor nosepiece positioning
• facial hair interfering with the seal
• eyewear or clothing caught underneath
• damaged components, or
• incorrect positioning

A user seal check does not replace fit testing.

What Should Happen When a Seal Check Fails?

A failed seal check should be treated as useful safety information.

The worker should not simply continue into the hazard because their fit-test certificate is still valid.

The mask or respirator should be repositioned and inspected, and the manufacturer-specified check repeated.

If the expected seal still cannot be achieved, the workplace’s respiratory protection procedure should guide the next step.

That may involve replacing damaged equipment, correcting an obstruction or arranging reassessment.

Supervisors Need to Know the Difference too

Workers are not the only people who need this information.

A supervisor who sees a failed seal check as an inconvenience may unintentionally discourage employees from reporting exactly the kind of change the respiratory protection program needs to catch.

The useful response is not, “You passed your fit test, so you’re fine.”

It is, “What changed?”

Earlier Retesting May be Necessary

Employers should also have a process for identifying changes that could affect fit before the normal renewal date.

These may include:

• a new mask or respirator make, model or size
• dental work
• facial surgery or scarring
• significant changes in facial dimensions
• new personal protective equipment, or
• repeated inability to obtain the expected seal

The fit test confirms the mask or respirator on the person.

The seal check confirms how that mask or respirator is sitting today.

Your respiratory protection program needs both.

Call a MaskFit+ specialist now at 289-643-6222 to learn more.