3M Transcript for the following interview: Ep-23-Respiratory Fit … · 2019. 1. 29. · Episode 23 - Respiratory Fit Testing 1 3M Transcript for the following interview: Ep-23-Respiratory

Episode 23 - Respiratory Fit Testing 1

3M Transcript for the following interview: Ep-23-Respiratory Fit Testing

Mark Reggers (R) Terry Gorman (G)

Introduction: The 3M Science of Safety podcast is a free publication. The

information presented in this podcast is general only, and you should always seek

the advice of a licensed or certified professional in relation to your specific work or

task.

Welcome to the 3M Science of Safety podcast presented by 3M Australia and

New Zealand Personal Safety Division. This is a podcast that is curious about the

signs and systems of all things work, health and safety, that keep workers safe and

protect their health. I am Mark Reggers, an occupational hygienist, who likes to

ask the questions Why, How, and Please Explain. Whether you are a safety

professional, occupational hygienist, or someone with any level of WHS

responsibility in the workplace, maybe you are a user of safety products or maybe

you are a bit of a safety nerd who finds this stuff really interesting, then this is a

podcast for you.

Ep 23: Respiratory fit Testing

(R) Today we are talking respiratory fit testing with Terry Gorman. Welcome,

Terry.

(G) Good morning Mark, how are you.

(R) Doing very, very well. Thanks for joining us again. For those that haven’t heard

any of our other podcasts we’ve done with you, can you introduce yourself, who

are you, what do you do, and where are you from?

(G) Yes, Mark, I am an occupational hygienist working for 3M for the last 19 years I

think it is. I’ve been in the safety game for nearly 30 years now. My initial training


was as a chemist. I started in safety at the Lucas Heights reactor site and learned

my trade there, a great place to learn hygiene, there is one of everything on that

site. I have been working for 3M in the field of PPE for many years and have

supported the products in the field and the technical side of the business in that

time.

(R) Fantastic. So, like most of our podcasts, I’d like to start off, where does PPE sit

in the hierarchy of control.

(G) Yes, Mark, we know it is at the bottom, so there are many better approaches,

let’s say, many more advanced approaches that we can use. PPE is at the bottom

because it relies on people, people are people and do things a bit differently, so

there are inherent issues. You need to pay close attention to PPE and make sure it

is doing the right job because people are involved.

(R) Good summary there. So, we are talking about respiratory fit testing, but as a

whole, fit testing, what is it?

(G) So, certain types of respiratory protective equipment we call tight fitting, so

masks, people will probably be familiar with the look of a mask, it covers your

mouth and your nose in the half-face mask configuration or a full-face mask which

covers your entire face. These products rely on an effective fit or face seal of that

mask onto the individual’s face to give the level of protection required.

(R) That protection, you’ve got to think about the filters, masks that have filters, but

in that fit when we’re thinking about protection we look at the whole combination

of everything. So, is fit testing legally required? Why should a workplace do fit

testing?


(G) Well, the Australian standard mandates fit testing for anyone wearing a tight-

fitting mask. Australian standards are not specified in legislation, but every

employer has a duty to provide a safe workplace. One way to demonstrate that in

terms of respiratory protection is to follow the Australian Standard 1715 and use

products that meet the Australian Standard 1716. Fit testing is required as part of

that for all individuals wearing tight-fitting masks.

(R) So how is fit testing actually conducted? How does a workplace check that a

mask fits a worker’s face?

(G) There’s a couple of ways to do it. They divide into two different approaches,

one called qualitative fit testing and one called quantitative fit testing. Qualitative

fit testing is a go/no go type of test. We challenge the fit of the product on the

individual, and if they do not detect the taste challenge agent, they pass, if they do

detect the challenge agent, then the seal is not effective, and it does not fit them.

Either the product is not the right size or perhaps not put on correctly.

(R) So that challenge agent, is it a nice challenge agent or a not so nice challenge

agent?

(G) There’s two options, one is saccharin, saccharin is essentially a very sweet

solution, you spray that into the breathing zone of the wearer, if they taste that

sweet taste obviously there is a leak and the mask is not fitting effectively. If they

go through the whole process which involves a number of head exercises and

movements, if they do not taste that sweet challenge agent, then they’ve got a pass

and that mask is giving them an effective seal. The alternate is a material called

Bitrex, rather than being sweet like the saccharin, this is a bitter, harsh-tasting

product. Again, it is a taste test, so you will taste a horrible bitter taste if you are

not getting an effective seal during the fit test.


(R) What are the advantages of qualitative fit testing? Is it hard to do? Easy to do?

Can people do it themselves? Should people do it themselves?

(T) The Australian Standard allows for it, as a valid method. It's a prescribed set of

exercises and process. If the tester follows that protocol and does all the steps in

the appropriate manner, then they can get a valid result. It takes a bit of practice

and a bit of knowledge. It's not rocket science but it still needs to be done properly

so that you've got confidence that you are getting the correct answer at the end of

the day. The Australian Standards are a bit vague in terms of the specifics so it's

easier to follow the OSHA Standard from the US. The OSHA Protocol is very clear

or the UK Protocol from the HSE. Those are all valid methods that can be used and

very, very similar, so there's not much variation there.

(R) What are the down sides, are there any disadvantages to that particular method

compared to the other one we are going to talk about in a second?

(G) The moist obvious down side is that some people cannot taste saccharin and/or

Bitrex, so some people don’t have that ability, some people have destroyed their

taste buds, heavy smokers is a group that comes to mind, where their taste buds

are no longer operable, and they can’t taste the challenge agents. Clearly if you

can’t taste the challenge agent you will not know if the mask is leaking or not, so

the method is then not usable for that group of people. The test requires the

subject to provide a response, so you are relying on the individual being tested to

give you a truthful and honest answer in terms of whether the mask is leaking, or

they get the taste, or they do not. Some people have agendas so that can be a

complication at times. There is no calibration required, this is a relatively

straightforward situation, you get all your elements out of a kit or a box, you can do

the testing and put it away and get it out next time you need it. So fairly

straightforward, fairly simple, inexpensive, and available to anybody who needs it.


(R) Can you test all types of masks using that particular method?

(G) The qualitative fit testing is only used for half-face mask testing, so if you need

the higher protection that you need from a full-face mask, you cannot use

qualitative fit test, you have to go to the other one we are going to talk about,

Quantitative fit testing.

(R) Is there any other qualitative types, or that is the only type?

(G) There is some other more exotic ones that are not so widely used. There is an

irritant smoke test that is no longer in favour because it is by definition an irritant

and has been known to give some people a bit of problem in terms of their

response, so it is a pretty rare beast these days.

(R) So quantitative, we’ve spoken qualitative, relying on the worker to tell us the

response, so what is the difference to quantitative?

(G) Quantitative, we are now using a method that allows us to come up with a

number, a figure on how well that product fits. The qualitative system was a yes or

a no, this actually, the quantitative system gives you a number to give you a relative

indication of how well the mask fits the individual. There is a couple of types, there

is a full-on laboratory test chamber situation where the test lab can put you in a

small, enclosed room, put a challenge agent in there, typically it will be salt

particles, and see how many of those salt particles can bypass the face seal and be

measured inside the mask. These are pretty rare beasts, and certainly not

something that is available out in the average workplace. To get a test that is

portable and can be used anywhere where there is power essentially you need to

buy a, there’s some portable counting devices, the most popular one is called the

PortaCount. This uses the natural particles that are floating around in the


atmosphere everywhere. It uses those as the challenge agent and measures the

concentration of those particles floating outside the mask, compare it with a

concentration inside the mask, to give you a fit factor, a number that indicates how

well that mask is fitting on your face. If the number is high enough you get a pass,

if the number is not high enough, that mask is not fitting your face correctly and

you need to go and refit it or perhaps try a different mask.

(R) So, one of the benefits or advantages of the quantitative is you are not relying

on the worker to tell you anything, the machine gives you a number, it’s

acceptable, not acceptable. Any other benefits of that particular method?

(G) The subjective result that we were talking about earlier disappears, so this is an

objective measurement, it does not rely on a response from the wearer, the wearer

is simply a fitting or a holder for the mask, if you like, the machine does the

measurement and tells you whether you’ve got a significant leak or a poor fit and

you can respond accordingly. So, the individual subject does not have to be

involved in the process other than to wear the mask.

(R) So, everything’s got pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages. What is the

disadvantages with this methodology?

(G) This equipment is quite expensive. We are talking up towards $20,000 in that

sort of range, so it is certainly not a unit that can be bought by the local smash

repair shop or a small company, it is just too expensive. They would have to look at

other ways of getting access. There are consultants who will come and fit test for a

fee, and that is clearly another alternative, or you go back to the qualitative if that

works in your situation.


(R) So, you mentioned earlier when we were talking about qualitative exercises that

they do, so do they just sit there while they’re wearing the mask, or what

movements do they have to do?

(G) There’s a number of head movements involved, so normal breathing, heavy

breathing, head moving side-to-side like you’re watching the tennis, head moving

up and down like you are nodding, we do a section where the test subject does

some talking, in other words they are moving their jaw and putting some stress on

the face seal, they do a bending over exercise where you are bending at the waist,

again to mimic the sort of movements that might happen in the workplace, and

then some more breathing. So, all of those exercises are trying to give us a rough

indication of the sort of movements that would occur and then see if the face seal

remains effective during those movements to give us overall hopefully a pass and

that mask is suitable.

(R) The big question that comes up all the time, being clean-shaven. What effect

does beard stubble have on these masks and the ability to show that it can fit a

worker?

(G) The standard and all of the associated literature and testing that has been done

shows that facial hair degrades the face seal. The facial hair acts like a steeple, if

you like, to hold the mask off your face, creating openings and creating a leak path,

and clearly that lets in the challenge agent or the particles, and you will get a lower

number or a failure of your test. The hair needs to be removed. The simple truth is

that you need to be clean-shaven at the start of every shift. Any facial hair is going

to degrade, and you need to make sure there is no facial hair between the mask

and the face of the wearer.

(R) A few comments I get when I’m doing fit testing, but my beard, my beard will

help filter out the dust that’s in the environment, and I’ve got a couple of really


good pictures that I am happy to share with our listeners to show, the workers are

thinking about the big stuff they can see, what about the stuff that is smaller than

your beard stubble or your beard hair.

(G) Exactly. The beard might capture a big chunk of sawdust or something clearly

visible. What we are really concerned about is the microscopic particles that we

can’t see, and they’re the ones that get deep down into the lungs and cause the

damage, so those particles are not evident to the worker with his beard or his

moustache or whatever, and that facial hair has to go so that the mask can perform.

If there is obviously a disagreement about removal of the beard or the moustache

or whatever, there are other options that do not require a tight-fitting mask, there

are respirators that use loose hoods or helmets, those sort of options that can give

people an alternative where they can keep their beloved moustache or beard and

still get respiratory protection. But, if you’re wearing a tight-fitting mask, you need

to be clean-shaven.

(R) The point I always bring up when I’m doing training is your day 3 growth is

different to my day 3 growth versus day 5 versus day 7, so it is not reliable, it is not

predictable between worker to worker, we want to take that ambiguity out of it,

and we know what their face shape is when it is clean-shaven.

(G) Exactly right. We all know people whose facial hair grows almost while you’re

looking at it, and others who are just the opposite, it grows very slow, all people

have different rates of growth depending on the season, depending on their health

condition, there are whole lot of factors that come into that rate. The simplest

most basic way to make sure everyone’s at an equal level in terms of performance

is to make sure everyone is clean-shaven at the start of the shift, that way you’re

going to get the same level of protection you got when you passed the fit test and

therefore getting the level of protection you need in your workplace.


(R) Is, there any other quantitative fit testing methods?

(G) There is another alternative, a rare beast in Australia, but there is what’s called a

controlled negative pressure device. This is a unit that relies on let’s say taking a

deep breath inside the mask and the unit measures the loss of pressure or the

pressure change that occurs over time. If you’ve got a badly-fitting mask the

negative pressure will disappear very quickly to indicate the mask is not fitting well.

If you’ve got the pressure stays negative for a long time, that indicates that seal is

effective, and you get a pass. These units are available overseas. They are pretty

rare over this side, and the PortaCount by far is the most commonly used option in

this type of area.

(R) Is there one fit testing methodology, quantitative, qualitative, that you

recommend, is one better than the other when workplaces should be considering

all these different types?

(G) They’re all acceptable under the Australian standard, so the regulators and the

courts and everyone else will accept a fit test of any kind given that it was done

appropriate to the protocols. You follow the steps appropriately, the records are

kept that the person was tested on such and such a date, and on what product, so

if all those things are in place appropriately then any fit test is appropriate. There

are issues in terms of those things we talked about with the qualitative testing,

people that cannot taste the challenge agent or people who require high protection

factors, you cannot use that type of approach, you have to go to the Quantitative

testing method. So, it’s a case of pick the one that works best in your local world

and do it properly and that will be acceptable.

(R) So, Terry, people doing the fit testing, because like any process that you

alluded to earlier, the methodology must be followed to have that reliability of the


fit being tested. What level of knowledge or competence or skills should fit testers

have, because that's a pretty important part of making sure this is accurate?

(G) Yeah, absolutely. There are certainly people we have seen that are not doing

the process correctly and you end up with questionable results. ISO, the

International Standards Organisation is currently doing a whole new set of

respiratory protection standards and they've done a whole subsection on fit

testing, which goes into all of the requirements, the reasons, the whys and the

wherefores and also describes the competencies of the fit tester; what sort of

knowledge the fit tester should have, what issues they should be able to cover and

that way they will … by having those competencies they will much more likely

follow the method, get the right answers and get the end result that you want, in

other words, a mask that is proven to fit the individual and will give the protection

that they need.

(R) Like any methodology, if you don't follow the process, you may still get a result,

but is it accurate and can that be relied on because at the end of the day, this is

about making sure the workers can get a fit when it really matters on the job?

(G) Yeah, so the standard methods that are allowed for fit testing certainly can be

relied on, given, as you say, you follow the recipe, you follow the steps, you do all

the right things. Like any process, you can do it the wrong way. You'll get a result,

but it won't be necessarily be the one that you want. In other words, proof that the

product fits the individual, so those competencies and those skills are part of that

picture and inform the fit tester, so they are getting the right answer at the end of

the day.

(R) And that ISO Standard, that is out now, as we're recording, for people to access

if they want to go and look at that particular standard?


(G) Yes, it is released. It hasn’t been adopted by the Australian Standards itself but

…

(R) At the time of this recording, yep.

(G) … at the time of this recording but we certainly are looking at that and it may, in

the future, be adopted as a guidance document to inform those using the Australian

Standard system.

(R) If listeners want more detailed information, because this really is just a skim

overview around respiratory fit testing, where can they go to find more

information?

(G) Of course, the Australian Standard contains information about fit testing, it

goes into the issues we talked about a little bit more deeply and provides a bit more

information. The same type of information can be found from other international

organisations like NIOSH in the US or HSE in the UK. These are countries that pay

close attention to fit testing and have information and documents that cover the

issues that we’ve spoken about as well and can provide some background

information as well about the whole subject.

(R) Really appreciate your time today, Terry.

(G) You’re welcome, Mark.

(R) Just in summarising fit testing, is not just about passing the test at that time of

the test, it is about giving confidence to workers and workplaces that that mask is

going to be providing that level of protection that is required for where they are

working. So, keep that in mind, it is about the worker and what they are being

exposed to and making sure they are not breathing that in.


Well thanks for listening, everyone. If you have any questions, comments,

suggestions for future topics or other guests that you think we should talk to, you

can shoot us an email to [email protected]. You can also contact us

via that email if you want any help within your place around respiratory protection

and respiratory fit testing as well, 3M are here to help.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast wherever you’re getting your podcast from so

you don’t miss any future episodes we are going to be putting out. And if you

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tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” Thanks for listening and have a safe day.

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3M Transcript for the following interview: Ep-23-Respiratory Fit … · 2019. 1. 29. · Episode 23 - Respiratory Fit Testing 1 3M Transcript for the following interview: Ep-23-Respiratory