BSIF to launch Fit2Fit scheme
August 15th 2008 It is widely accepted that any form of respiratory protection needs to provide an adequate seal with the face of the wearer even when positive pressure equipment is being used. Most guidance from manufacturers, advice from safety distributors and approved codes of practice on the use of respiratory protection make this very clear.
"And yet, there are an alarmingly high number of instances being reported where equipment is being "shared" by shift workers, employees are suffering from respiratory problems despite using suitable protection and many smaller companies admit to a lack of understanding of the need for fit-testing when asked," said a BSIF spokesman.
Independent assessments
Identified as a significant problem and contributor to work related ill health by the HSE, a joint initiative is now being developed with the BSIF to increase awareness of the need for fit-testing. The programme will include a targeted accreditation scheme called "Fit2Fit" which will ensure that fit-testers are independently assessed on their ability to fit-test others.
Simplicity key
Both the HSE and the BSIF are keen to ensure that this accreditation is not onerous, that it is reasonably priced to reflect costs and that the assessments can be carried out relatively locally.
People with specialist fit-testing skills could be employees within major industrial companies, trades union safety representatives, part of manufacturers or distributors customer services teams or independent safety professionals.
The scheme envisages that all employers with respiratory protection requirements will think twice before engaging any fit-tester who has not been independently assessed. There is little doubt that if a worker suffers any respiratory injury where an adequate fit-test has not been done, the consequences are likely to be much more serious once the scheme is up and running.
"Fit testing is not difficult or time consuming but it does need to be carried out by skilled people. How much better this will be when employers can rely on the fit-testers they use to be professionally competent as a result of these independent assessments," added our BSIF spokesman. More articles from British Safety Industry Federation: | 
