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How it works: 

At Fire Safe International, we provide tailored respiratory wearer training for all makes of disposable filtering facepiece, reusable half-masks, and full-face masks, as well as powered respirators. Using the equipment issued at your site, your team practise the full wearer routine themselves, while the instructor corrects fitting technique, explains the checks that confirm the equipment is ready and identifies anything that could interfere with protection.

The course will cover the complete wearer routine, including:

  • 1. Knowing where the respirator can be used

    Employees learn the difference between filtering respirators and breathing apparatus, including why a respirator cannot be used where oxygen is deficient, the atmosphere is unknown, or the selected filter cannot control the substance present. They will also learn to follow the respirator and filter arrangements specified by your risk assessment and RPE programme, rather than selecting equipment solely on their own judgement.

  • 2. Visual pre-use checks

    Wearers will learn how to inspect the facepiece, straps, valves, seal and filter connection before each use. Powered equipment training will also cover checks of the battery, breathing tube, airflow and alarms where these components form part of the equipment used.

  • 3. Correct fit and operating best practices

    Each employee dons the respirator, adjusts it and completes the manufacturer’s seal check. The instructor can correct their fitting technique and identify any interference from spectacles, facial hair or other head-worn equipment.

  • 4. Removing, cleaning and storing the equipment after use

    The course also covers when to leave the work area, where the respirator can be removed, how reusable equipment should be cleaned and reassembled, and how filters and damaged components are dealt with. These procedures will reflect the manufacturer’s instructions, the contaminants involved and your organisation’s arrangements for cleaning, decontamination, filter replacement and disposal.

Respiratory wearer training and face fit testing

If your team uses tight-fitting masks, wearer training can be delivered alongside face fit testing. The course will teach your staff how to use their equipment correctly, while the separate fit test will assess whether the exact make, model, type and size is capable of achieving an adequate seal to the individual wearer.

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What changes for your workforce after respiratory wearer training? 

Less reliance on supervisors for routine RPE decisions

Training equips wearers to check, fit and manage their own equipment correctly, helping them complete routine wearer checks and recognise when equipment should not be used or when advice is required.

Better value from your reusable respiratory equipment

Correct handling, cleaning and storage practices help your respirators remain serviceable for longer, reducing avoidable repairs and wasted consumables, and maximising your lifetime ROI.

Clearer boundaries between respirator and breathing-apparatus work

A trained workforce will better understand which tasks can be carried out with filtering RPE and which require an independent air supply, giving your managers a firmer basis for matching people and equipment to the atmosphere involved.

Who needs this service? 

Any worker or contractor using respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to safeguard against dust, fumes, aerosols, gases or vapours will benefit from this training.

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Why choose Fire Safe International as your respiratory wearer training partner?

As an independent company established in 1993, we have conducted training for customers in the manufacturing, chemical processing, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, aviation, waste processing, emergency services, and defence sectors, among others. Our broad respiratory-protection experience gives us a firm knowledge of why a wearer may have difficulty using their respirator correctly. Our instructors can distinguish between a training need, a poor fit, worn or defective equipment, interference from other PPE, and a facepiece that does not suit the task at hand. This insight and experience give you more precise feedback on what needs attention after the course, while each employee receives personal guidance that relates directly to their own equipment, responsibilities, and working conditions.

Does this replace face fit testing?

No, it doesn’t. Our respirator wearer training course covers correct fitting, the use of the filters specified for the task, storage, maintenance, and seal checks. Face fit testing is a separate, individual test that assesses whether a specific make, model, and size of tight-fitting respirator is capable of achieving an adequate seal onto that person’s face.

Which respirators are covered by your course?

The training can be adapted to the respirators your team use – including disposable filtering facepieces, full face respirators, reusable half masks, and powered air purifying respirators. Self-contained and airline breathing apparatus will require separate wearer training.

Can delegates use their own equipment?

Yes, delegates are welcome to use the respirator already issued to them. Equipment must be clean, serviceable, and available with its instructions, and tight-fitting masks will require a separate face fit test for each individual wearer.

How should reusable RPE be cleaned and stored?

Reusable RPE should be cleaned, disinfected where necessary, dried, inspected, reassembled and stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and your organisation’s contamination-control procedures. Filters and other components should only be removed, cleaned or replaced as directed for that particular model. The equipment should then be stored in a clean, dry location where it is protected from contamination, damage, sunlight and extreme temperatures.

Improve how your team uses their RPE

For more information about respirator wearer training, please call 01743 761000 to discuss your requirements in person, or ask us to tailor a session for your team.