PRE-DONNING

Ensure you have been face fit tested before respiratory protective equipment is used!

Under the Health and Safety Act 1974. It is law that you must be Face Fit Tested before any tight fitting Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is used. This is to ensure it forms a good seal on the face. It must be able to provide adequate protection for the individual wearer.

RPE cannot protect the wearer if it leaks. A major cause of leakage is due to poor fitting face pieces, which are too loose or too tight. As people come in all shapes and sizes, it is unlikely that one particular size of RPE will fit everyone. Fit testing will ensure that the equipment selected is suitable for the wearer, fitting correctly and minimising exposure to the hazard.

Prior to taking a mask out of the packaging, you must:

• Make sure your hands are clean.
• Check you have the correct make and model of mask for you (both on the outer box and the mask).
• The mask details must match the details on your fit test document.
• Check the use by date.
• The user instructions are in the box or on the side of the packaging for you to refer to.

Before donning (putting on) a mask you must:

• Check it’s the correct protection/mask for the area you will be working
• Check the mask for faults, check:
• Face seal, straps and nose strip.
• If the mask is damaged or appears to be crushed, do not use.
• Make sure you are clean shaven around the seal of the mask.

• Avoid makeup.
• Ensure face creams are fully absorbed and try to avoid creams that leave an oily or greasy layer on the face.
• Tie long hair back and avoid hair interfering with:
• The seal of the mask.
• The positioning of the straps.
• Remove jewellery.

• If you’ve had dental work, have new facial scarring, broken nose, pimples around the seal of the mask or recently lost or gained weight, then speak to a supervisor as this can affect the seal of the mask you are fit tested on.

FITTED MASK POSITION

Please note dependant on the facial shape the wearer may need to adjust the nose clip position either higher up the nose bridge or slightly lower on the nose bridge to achieve the best fit. If you wear glasses, then make sure they are compatible and sit comfortably. Glasses or other PPE must not interfere with the fit of the Respirator.

Please note the image above illustrates the ideal strap position.

DONNING THE MASK

Ensure you have been face fit tested before respiratory protective equipment is used!

Under the Health and Safety Act 1974. It is law that you must be Face Fit Tested before any tight fitting Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is used. This is to ensure it forms a good seal on the face. It must be able to provide adequate protection for the individual wearer. RPE cannot protect the wearer if it leaks. A major cause of leakage is due to poor fitting face pieces, which are too loose or too tight. As people come in all shapes and sizes, it is unlikely that one particular size of RPE will fit everyone. Fit testing will ensure that the equipment selected is suitable for the wearer, fitting correctly and minimising exposure to the hazard.

Hold the mask on the flat outer edge finger grips.

Gently flatten out the machine fold in the metal nose bridge, form a more gentle bend in the middle of the nose bridge by forming a shape around back to back thumbs.

Hold the mask in the palm of one hand (ensuring the nose piece is at the top), the other hand holding both strap’s.

Place the mask onto the face and gently pull both straps over the head with the nose bridge part of the mask on the upper nose and make sure the lower part of the mask is fitted under the chin.

Place the top strap to the crown of head with thumbs & ensure the lower strap is around the lower neck.*

Once the mask is in place, gently form and mould the metal nose bridge of mask with index fingers of both hands (don’t pinch) to mould and shape the metal around the wearer’s contours.

Breathe in and out to check the quality of the mask fit on the face. You should feel the mask sucking in towards your face on the inhale, and there should be no air feltescaping around the seal of the mask on the exhale. Ifthere are, repeat the fitting procedure.

*As you pull over the strap(s), ensure you keep them as close to the head as possible.

NB – if the wearer is unable to successfully perform a Fit Check having followed these instructions, it may be advisable to consider ‘crossing the straps’ to achieve a tighter fit, especially on a smaller face shape. This is allowed as a consideration within our User Information Sheet.

Follow steps 1 to 4 as normal, but then use both hands to reverse the ‘normal’ strap position – ie move the ‘top’ strap from the crown to the base of the neck, and move the ‘lower’ strap from the base of the neck to the crown of the head.

Re-form metal nose bridge again in case the mask position has been affected, by using the index fingers of both hands to mould and re-shape the metal nose-bridge of the mask around the wearer’s contours and repeat the Fit Check steps.

DOFFING THE MASK

Fitted mask position

Place both thumb’s on the inside of the bottom straps.

Gently move the lower strap up towards the crown of the head and gather both straps with the thumbs.

As the straps move towards the top of the head, the mask will start to slide off. Lean forward, face the floor, control the movement with your thumbs and carefully remove the mask from your face. Taking care not to touch the inner or outer of the mask to avoid contamination.

*Follow site risk assessment in terms of disposal.