N95 Respirator Fit Testing Santa Rosa

Prerequisite: Medical Clearance is Required before the Fit Test

All persons MUST have a medical clearance prior to fit testing as required by Cal/OSHA regulation Title 8, Section 5144.  Start this process now! We recommend you use the 3M online system.  Click the following link to begin: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/safety-centers-of-expertise-us/respiratory-protection/respirator-medical-evaluations/.

The Online Respirator Medical Evaluation System is a convenient method of providing efficient, cost-effective, and secure medical evaluations for respirator wearers. The system meets all requirements of OSHA’s respirator standard, 29CFR1910.134, and other compliance standards that incorporate OSHA’s respirator standard. It can be used for all brands of respirators and is available in English and Spanish.

Step 1: Employer sets up an account with 3M.

Step 2: Employer is notified by 3M via email when account is verified and then employer is sent instructions on how to register employees for medical evaluation. (Note- Company is open Monday-Friday, Central time)

Step 3: Employees complete online questionnaire.

Step 4: Employer and employees are notified by 3M via email with medical clearance status (pass, fail or requires further information).  This usually occurs on the same day, during business hours.

What is a Fit Test?

Instead of wasting your masks with other types of testing, we use the OSHA-approved qualitative fit test. This test may only be used to fit-test:

• • Negative-pressure, air-purifying respirators, as long as they’ll only be used in atmospheres where the hazard is at less than 10 times the permissible exposure limit.
  • Tight fitting face pieces used with powered and atmosphere-supplying respirators.

The test is pass/fail and relies on the user’s senses using one of four OSHA-accepted test agents:

• • Isoamyl acetate (banana smell); only for testing respirators with organic vapor cartridges.
  • Saccharin (sweet taste); can test respirators with a particulate filter of any class.
  • Bitrex® (bitter taste); can also test respirators with particulate filters of any class.
  • Irritant smoke (involuntary cough reflex); only for testing respirators with level 100 particulate filters.

A hood is placed over the test subject during the fit test.

Each Qualitative Fit Test method uses seven exercises performed for 1 minute each:

• • Normal breathing
  • Deep breathing
  • Moving head side to side
  • Moving head up and down
  • Bending over
  • Talking
  • Normal breathing again

References:

OSHA 1910.134 Respiratory Protection

OSHA Appendix B Medical Evaluation Questionnaire

OSHA Appendix C Medical Evaluation Questionnaire

Cal/OSHA 5144 Respiratory Protection

CAL/OSHA 5199 Aerosol Transmissible Diseases

Cal/OSHA Respiratory Protection Fact Sheet

California Dental Association fit testing memo 05-09-2020

California Dental Association Respiratory Protection Program Template

OSHA Temporary Regulations during COVID-19

NIOSH Approved Respirators

Comparison of FFP2, KN95, N95 and Others

Safety Data Sheets

Bitter Sensitivity Solution

Bitter Test Solution

Sweet Sensitivity Solution

Sweet Test Solution