Fit Testing-Respirators
Any having issues with fit testing ? We held off due to Covid however cant wait forever.
Comments (8)
I work in healthcare, so fit testing (N95 primarily) has been a top concern. Early on we conducted qualitative only to conserve supplies. Once we got a stable supply we went back to quantitative. We risk assessed our process for cross contamination concerns with our Infection Control team. We disinfect all touch surfaces between fit tests.
What kind of fit testing - qualitative or quantitative? How large is your respiratory protection program? You can minimize risk by setting up the appropriate protocol but that can become difficult depending on the number of employees and timeline.
You will need to consider source and receptor control for the fit-tester, proper disinfection protocols for the room and any equipment, extra supplies if you dispose items between employees, scheduling.
You could try restricting fit tests to certain employees and force a negative covid test from both tester and worker prior to? Not sure if there’s any legal implications with that approach though.
Had to deal with that at my last employer. We only had a handful of guys who needed it though so we got it done by having them do it one at a time. We used Medivan. I think they do a great job.
I'll be honest I didn't do it last year. IMO the risk wasn't worth it. Now, we only wear respirators on a very limited basis, and it's only in very specific circumstances. If we needed them everyday I'd have probably gotten it done. I heard something about single use fit testing, but I don't know much more than that.