| Face Fit Testing RPE | |
| The final defence in hazardous situations | |
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UK Face Fit Testing Legislation is now nearly five years old. All UK employees who wear tight-fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE) should, by now, have a certificate to prove that the protective equipment they wear during work not only fits them, but also affords them the effective protection necessary for the task being performed. However, research indicates that this is not the case. Expanding upon the European Directive 98/24/EC of April 19981, the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) updated the Controls Of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations in November 2002 and included the requirement that any RPE supplied by the employer is Fit Tested with the wearer. This is to ensure that the RPE is not only suitable for the conditions in which it is being used, but that, by fitting the wearer correctly, it provides effective protection. The need for effective protection In the UK, respiratory-related diseases and conditions account for the third-largest work-related illness. Those affected include metal plate workers, vehicle body builders, plumbers, gas fitters, carpenters and bakers. “ensure that the RPE is not only suitable for the conditions in which it is being used, but that, by fitting the wearer correctly, it provides effective protection” In 2006/07 a survey of self-reported illnesses indicated that there were around 142,000 people with “breathing or lung problems” which they believed to be work-related. > |