Minnesota Occupational Health (MOH) is dedicated to helping businesses prioritize workplace safety. Our comprehensive respirator fit testing services ensure your employees are properly protected from hazardous airborne contaminants, such as silica. In addition to safeguarding your team, our services help your business comply with OSHA’s Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134), which requires that employers using personal protective equipment must maintain a formal respiratory protection program.
Our respirator fit services include:
- On-site testing for large groups
- OSHA-mandated medical clearance questionnaires
- Professional spirometry and pulmonary function testing when needed
- Qualitative and quantitative respirator fit testing
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What Is Involved in a Respirator Fit Test
Even the highest-quality respirator cannot protect a worker if it leaks. To ensure maximum safety and OSHA compliance, our testing process follows a specific order:
1. Mandatory Medical Clearance
Before a fit test can occur, an employee must be medically cleared. This ensures they are physically healthy enough to wear a respirator without straining their heart or lungs or causing problems with their vision, hearing or musculoskeletal system. To make this step as easy as possible, we offer medical questionnaires in both hard-copy paper form and online formats for your convenience.
2. The Physical Fit Test
Once cleared, the employee undergoes the actual fit test to verify that their specific respirator model and size create an airtight seal. During the test, your employee performs a series of exercises to simulate real job site conditions, including:
- Deep breathing and side-to-side head movements
- Moving the head up and down (while bending or reaching)
- Talking aloud to ensure the mask remains stable while communicating
We offer two primary fit testing methods:
- Qualitative fit testing (QLFT): This is a pass/fail test that relies on the employee’s sense of taste or smell to detect leakage. We use approved agents such as saccharin or Bitrex. If the employee experiences an involuntary cough or detects the agent, the fit is inadequate.
- Quantitative fit testing (QNFT): This method uses specialized equipment to measure the actual amount of leakage into the facepiece. The test produces a numerical value known as a fit factor. For certain air purifying respirators, a fit factor of 500 or higher may be required for a passing result.
How Long Does a Respirator Fit Test Take?
A standard respirator fit test generally takes at least 15 minutes per person. For organizations with large numbers of employees, our team can perform on-site testing to minimize downtime and keep operations running smoothly.
How Often Should a Respirator Fit Test Be Conducted?
OSHA requires that fit tests be conducted every year. However, your employees should be retested sooner if they experience significant physical changes that could impact the respirator seal. This includes:
- Changes in facial structure or scarring
- Major dental work or oral surgery
- Significant weight loss or gain
Your Trusted Twin Cities Partner for Respiratory Fit Testing
A safe workplace depends on equipment that works and a team that is medically cleared to use it. Minnesota Occupational Health provides a streamlined and clinically driven approach to workforce safety for businesses in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. With five convenient locations—Coon Rapids, Eagan, Shakopee, St. Paul/Midway and Woodbury—we make it easy for employers to access high-quality occupational health services, including respiratory fit tests, that keep your employees safe, healthy and productive.
Let Minnesota Occupational Health connect you with the occupational health services you need. Call (651) 968-5300 or contact us today to learn more about our services.