Respirator fit test hood is an essential part of respirator fit testing kit. Those of you coming to this page must be looking for respirator fit test hood or replacement test hood to perform respirator fit testing. Hence, we would like to give you brief information on how to fit-test respirator system and also recommend one product of respiratory protection system available on the market.
For those of you requiring respirator fit test kits, we suggest that you consider 3M respirator fit test hood as one of respirator system accessories to support the fit-testing procedures. It is because 3M respiratory protection supplies are renowned for their reliability, quality and durability with affordable price. As we mentioned earlier, we will firstly talk a little bit about how to fit-test respirator system.
If you are unfamiliar with respiratory protection system, we would like to let you know that the system should be fit-tested before use and meet OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standard. This kind of test is meant to make sure an adequate seal between the user’s face and the material of the respirator. There are two types of respirator fit-testing, quantitative and qualitative. Both methods require respirator fit test hood.
The Respirator Quantitative Fit Test (QNFT) needs the use of a measuring instrument for either leakage of an aerosol test agent or face piece pressure loss. On the other hand, the Respirator Qualitative Fit Testing (QLFT) uses odor (with banana oil), taste (using Bitrex or saccharin), or irritation response (using stannic chloride). Ensure that you prepare the kits, including the respirator fit test hood, before you start the fit test.
The respirator fit test kits consist of the respiratory protection system you have chosen (we take 3M respirator for example), fit test chemical (QLFT), three one-liter containers with lids, 55-gallon drum liner, respirator fit test hood, hook, nebulizer, smoke tubes, air bulb, and fit test instrument (QNFT).
Firstly, you need to perform some exercises, such as normal breathing, deep breathing, turning the head side to side, moving the head up and down, talking, grimacing and jogging in place or bending at the waist. Next, you can prepare test solutions for QLFT. Make sure that the subjects tested are able to detect the test chemical. This is not the time for the subjects to wear the respirator fit test hood.
Furthermore, hang a drum liner upside down for approximately six inches above the head of the subjects tested while performing banana oil testing. After that, attach a hook to the inside of the liner. Next, you can ask them to stand inside the drum or put on the respirator fit test hood. Take a paper towel wetted with diluted banana oil and place it on the hook in the drum. In the opening of the respirator fit test hood, put a nebulizer which is filled with saccharin or Bitrex. Then, place a smoke tube within the air bulb to perform the irritating smoke test.
Speaking on the Qualitative Fit Test, you need to expose the test subjects to the test chemical while performing the required exercises. For this need, you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions of QNFT. If the test chemical can not be detected inside the respirator fit test hood, it means that the subjects being tested pass the QLFT.
Then, we suggest the 3M Bitrex Qualitative Fit Test Kit to support the respirator fit test procedures. The kits include bitter (Bitrex) Fit Test Solution (FT-32), bitter (Bitrex) Sensitivity Solution (FT-31), laminated construction book (English/Spanish/French/Portuguese), 2 nebulizers (FT-13), respirator fit test hood (FT-14), 1 collar assembly (FT-15), and 2 sets replacement nebulizer inserts.
The 3M Bitrex Respirator Fit Test Kits are applicable for any particulate respirator or gas and vapor respirator with a particulate filter to test full face respirators to face seal fit. You just need to spray the Bitrex solution into the respirator fit test hood environment. Ensure that the tested subjects can not detect the test agent’s taste (Bitrex). If the taste can not be detected than he passes the test. The 3M FT-30 Respirator Fit Test Kit can accommodate approximately 150 employees.
Thus, when it deals with safety equipment, health personal care, or any other welding workplace problems, serious and responsible act should be performed to ensure the safety and health of the users themselves. Hopefully, this information and those products are helpful for those of you requiring respirator fit test hood for replacement in supporting the respirator fit test procedures.
