A respirator can only provide its intended protection when it forms a proper seal against the wearer’s face. Even a small gap can allow contaminated air to enter around the edges of the mask instead of passing through its filters.
Workers can fail a respirator fit test for several reasons, including facial hair, incorrect sizing, improper mask placement or simply using a respirator that does not suit their facial features. Failing does not necessarily mean the worker did anything wrong. It usually means that something must be adjusted or a different respirator should be tested.
Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing provides professional respirator and mask fit test for individual workers and workplace groups. Contact our team to arrange testing at our Calgary office or schedule convenient on-site service for your workforce.
What Does It Mean to Fail a Respirator Fit Test?
A failed fit test means the respirator did not maintain an adequate seal against the worker’s face during testing. The worker should not use that particular make, model, style and size of tight-fitting respirator in a hazardous environment until an acceptable fit has been confirmed.
There are two primary types of respirator fit testing methods:
- Qualitative fit test is a pass-or-fail assessment that uses a test substance the wearer can taste or otherwise detect. If the worker detects the substance while wearing the respirator, the seal may be leaking.
- Quantitative fit test uses specialized equipment to measure leakage and calculate a numerical fit factor. The respirator must achieve the required fit factor to pass.
In either case, an unsuccessful result indicates that the tested respirator did not provide the required fit at the time of testing.
For more information on qualitative fit test vs a quantitative fit test. Visit Qualitative vs. Quantitative Mask Fit Testing: What’s The Difference?
Facial Hair Along the Sealing Surface
Facial hair is one of the most common reasons a worker may be unable to pass a respirator fit test. Beards, stubble, sideburns or moustache hair can interfere with the area where the respirator must seal against the skin.
Even short stubble facial hair can create small pathways that allow air to leak into the mask. Workers should be clean-shaven anywhere the respirator’s sealing surface contacts the face when they arrive for testing and whenever they wear the respirator at work.
Facial hair that remains entirely outside the face seal area may not interfere, but this depends on the respirator’s shape and how the hair is worn.
The Respirator Is the Wrong Size
Respirators are not one-size-fits-all. A mask that is too large may leave gaps around the cheeks, nose or chin, while one that is too small may not cover the face correctly or remain in position during movement.
Sizing can also differ between manufacturers. A medium respirator from one company may fit differently from a medium made by another. This is why workers must be fit tested with the exact brand, model, style and size they will use on the job.
If a worker fails with one size, the fit tester may try a smaller or larger option.
Check out our blog on respirators – The Differences Between Common Types of Respirator
The Respirator Model Does Not Suit the Worker’s Face
Two people may wear the same size respirator but receive completely different fit test results. Facial width, nose shape, chin size and cheekbone structure can all affect how a mask sits against the face.
Sometimes adjusting the respirator will not solve the problem because that particular model is not compatible with the worker’s facial features. Testing another style or manufacturer may provide a much better fit.
Employers should therefore have access to more than one respirator model or size rather than expecting a single option to fit every employee.
Incorrect Mask Placement
A worker may fail because the respirator was not positioned correctly before the test began. Common placement problems include:
- Wearing the mask too high or low
- Failing to place it securely beneath the chin
- Positioning the straps incorrectly
- Twisting or crossing the straps
- Failing to shape the nosepiece properly
- Leaving hair trapped beneath the sealing surface
The worker should follow the manufacturer’s instructions when putting on the respirator. A user seal check should also be completed each time the respirator is worn.
A user seal check is not a substitute for formal a fit test, but it can help identify an obvious leak before the worker enters a hazardous environment.
Straps That Are Too Loose or Too Tight
Loose straps may prevent the respirator from sitting firmly against the face. However, excessively tight straps can also create problems by distorting the mask or making it shift from its intended position.
The straps should be placed and adjusted according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Tying knots in the straps, crossing them incorrectly or using clips that are not part of the approved respirator configuration may alter the fit.
Other Personal Protective Equipment Is Interfering
Safety glasses, goggles, hard hats, face shields and other personal protective equipment can sometimes interfere with respirator placement. Prescription eyewear can be a particular concern with full-face respirators if the frames or arms pass through the sealing area.
Workers should complete the fit test while wearing any additional protective equipment that could affect the respirator’s fit. This helps confirm that the equipment can be worn together without compromising the seal.
The Respirator Is Damaged or Worn Out
A damaged respirator may not maintain an adequate seal, even if the same model fitted the worker successfully in the past.
Problems can include:
- Cracks or tears in the facepiece
- Stretched or damaged straps
- A bent nosepiece
- Missing valves or components
- Hardened or distorted sealing material
- Improperly installed filters or cartridges
- Dirt or debris along the sealing surface
Reusable respirators should be inspected before each use and maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Disposable respirators should be replaced if they are damaged, dirty, wet or no longer maintain their shape.
Significant Facial or Dental Changes
A respirator that previously fit may no longer provide an acceptable seal after a significant physical change. Weight gain or loss, facial surgery, dental work, scarring or changes to the facial structure can affect how the mask rests against the user’s face.
Workers may need to be retested following these changes, even if their existing fit test has not yet reached its normal renewal date.
The Mask Shifts During Movement
A respirator must continue sealing while the worker moves, speaks and breathes. A fit test commonly includes exercises that simulate normal workplace movement, such as:
- Turning the head from side to side
- Moving the head up and down
- Speaking
- Bending over
- Breathing normally and deeply
A mask might initially appear to fit but shift during one of these exercises. This can break the seal and produce a failed result.
The Worker Did Not Follow Testing Instructions
A reliable result depends on following the fit tester’s directions. Talking at the wrong time, touching or readjusting the mask during a test, completing movements incorrectly or removing the respirator can affect the results.
With qualitative testing, eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum shortly before the appointment may also interfere with a worker’s ability to detect the test solution. Workers should follow all preparation instructions provided by the testing company.
The Worker Cannot Detect the Qualitative Test Solution
Before certain qualitative fit tests, the worker completes a sensitivity screening to confirm that they can detect the test substance. If the person cannot taste or otherwise detect it during the screening, that particular qualitative method cannot provide a reliable result.
This is not the same as failing because of a poor respirator seal. The worker may need to be tested using a different qualitative fit test solution or a quantitative fit test method.
Schedule professional respirator fit test with Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing.
We provide both qualitative fit test and quantitative fit test at our Calgary office and on-site throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan and Eastern British Columbia. Flexible appointments are available for individuals and workplace groups.
Can a Worker Retake a Failed Fit Test?
Yes. Fit test failures does not mean the worker cannot wear any respirator. The fit tester may make appropriate adjustments or test a different size, style or model.
The worker should only be considered successfully fit tested once an acceptable result is achieved with the exact respirator they will wear at work. The make, model, style and size should be recorded so the employer can provide the correct respirator in the future.
How Workers Can Prepare for a Fit Test
Workers can reduce avoidable problems by preparing properly for their appointment:
- Arrive clean-shaven in the respirator’s sealing area
- Bring the exact respirator used at work, if instructed
- Bring other personal protective equipment that may affect the fit
- Follow instructions concerning eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum
- Tell the tester about significant facial or dental changes
- Do not alter the respirator or its straps
- Be ready to test another size or model if necessary
Employees should also know that passing a fit test does not guarantee that every respirator will fit them. The result only applies to the specific make, model, style and size used during the test.
Schedule Respirator Fit Testing for Your Workers
An unsuccessful fit test should never be ignored. If a respirator cannot maintain an adequate seal, the worker may not receive the protection expected when exposed to dust, fumes, chemicals or other airborne hazards.
Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing provides qualitative and quantitative respirator mask fit testing in Calgary and on-site throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan and Eastern British Columbia. Our mobile testing options make it easier to test workplace groups efficiently while reducing interruptions to your operation.
Contact Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing or call 403-399-4775 to schedule respirator fit test for your employees. Our team has experience performing fit tests for workplace groups across Western Canada.
Frequently Asked Fit Test Questions
The testing process determines whether the respirator forms a tight seal against the worker’s face. During a fit test, the person wearing the respirator completes several exercises, including normal breathing, deep breathing, speaking and moving the head from side to side. These movements help determine whether the mask continues to fit securely under typical working conditions.
A qualitative fit test uses a test agent that the worker can taste, smell or otherwise detect. The worker generally wears a test chamber or hood while completing the assessment. Saccharin, Bitrex and irritant smoke may be used, depending on the approved procedure.
A quantitative fit test uses specialized equipment to measure leakage around the mask. The results determine whether the respirator meets the required minimum fit factor for the work being performed.
Tight-fitting respirators require testing because their protection depends on the mask maintaining a tight seal against the face. This can include N95 masks, half-face respirators, full-face respirators and certain air-purifying respirators.
Loose-fitting respirators do not rely on the same type of face-to-mask seal and may not require the same testing. Employers should confirm the requirements for each respirator through their respiratory protection program.
Yes. A worker may fail because the size or model of respirator does not match their facial shape. Manufacturers use different designs and sizing systems, so a medium from one brand may fit differently from a medium made by another. Trying another model of respirator may be necessary to achieve a proper fit.
The fit test primarily evaluates how securely the facepiece seals against the worker’s face. However, air-purifying respirators must also use filters or cartridges appropriate for the workplace hazard. Organic vapour cartridges, particulate filters and other cartridges protect against different contaminants and are not interchangeable.
A successful fit test does not confirm that the correct cartridge has been selected. Cartridge and filter selection should be addressed separately within the employer’s respiratory protection program.
Employers can reduce fit test failures by providing workers with multiple respirator sizes and models, offering training and ensuring each worker understands how to put on the mask correctly. Workers should be tested using the exact brand, model, style and size they will wear at work.
Changes to the worker’s face or the model of respirator may require another fit test. Some respiratory protection programs also include annual fit testing, depending on the applicable occupational safety requirements and workplace policies.
Yes. Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing can test tight fitting respirators, including N95 masks, half-face masks and full-face respirators. The team offers a qualitative fit test or a quantitative fit test, depending on the respirator and testing requirements. They can test respirators used in construction, industrial work and healthcare settings to help workers get the respiratory protection their jobs require. Contact us today to get started.
For more information on qualitative fit test for n95 respirators click here.