Having high-quality, properly functioning Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) is essential to the health and well-being of your team. If your employees are at risk of exposure to any harmful inhalable substance, then it is a legal requirement that any RPE provided must be adequate and suitable. Worryingly, the British Safety Industry Federation (BSiF) estimates that as many as 50% of RPE devices fail to adequately protect their users from the harmful effects of hazardous substances. This places employees in a position of extreme risk should they need to rely on their RPE.

Why so many faults?

The disturbing cause underlying this high percentage of failures is not substandard manufacture or user error but simply that the RPE’s do not fit properly. Even the most advanced respiratory protection technology is rendered useless if the equipment does not fit the user securely!

The Solution

The solution is to ensure all tight fitting / face fitting RPE’s are fit for purpose by having the face pieces correctly fitted and tested by a competent person. This is the ‘Facemask Fit Test’, which is a requirement on all RPE users under HSE & BSiF safety regulations or guidance. In light of the high number of face piece faults, the BSiF, HSE and other partner organisations within the industry have developed a stringent set of safety standards that establish a required level of competency for facemask fit testers; the Fit2Fit Accreditation Scheme.

The Fit2Fit Accreditation

At FSI we are proud to offer our customers HSE/BSiF approved Fit2Fit Accreditation training for users or fit testers of RPE. Our Fit2Fit accredited trainers are highly experienced professionals with a solid knowledge of health and safety good practices and all types of RPE products. Although the scheme is not currently compulsory under statute, compliance is a sign of high professional standards and a commitment to increased safety in the workplace. Our trainers will provide your competent person with all the practical knowledge they need to make sure your RPE face pieces are up to the job and perform well when needed.

For further information about Fit2Fit, please send us a message through our contact form, or call us directly on 01743 761 000.

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