Reducing Respirator Fit Test Errors: A Multi-Donning Approach
- 1 August 2005
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
- Vol. 2 (8), 391-399
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15459620500182174
Abstract
As a continuation of recent studies to assess the accuracy of existing fit test methods, a multi-donning approach to fit testing is presented. As an example of that approach, a multi-donning quantitative fit test for filtering-facepiece respirators is presented and analyzed by comparing its error rates with those of the single-donning approach of current fit test methods. That analysis indicates the multi-donning fit test has the potential to reduce both the alpha error and the beta error to half that of single-donning fit tests. The alpha error is the error of failing a respirator that should pass; the beta error is the error of passing a respirator that should fail. Lowering fit test error rates for filtering-facepiece respirators is important because fit testing is an essential means of helping assure that an individual has selected an adequately fitting respirator. To reduce the alpha and beta error inherent in current fit test methods, the proposed fit test for filtering-facepiece respirators incorporates five donnings of the facepiece, unlike the single donning of existing fit test methods. The analysis presented here indicates that the multiple-donning approach reduces the element of chance in the fit test result and thereby increases the consistency and accuracy of the fit tests. The time to conduct the multi-donning test can approximate the time for current, single-donning tests by shortening the time the respirator is worn after each donning to about 10 sec. And, unlike current fit tests for filtering-facepieces that measure only faceseal leakage, the example multiple-donning fit test considered here is based on a measurement of total leakage (faceseal plus filter). Utilizing total respirator leakage can result in simpler quantitative fit test instrumentation and a fit test that is more relevant to the workplace. Further trials with human subjects are recommended in order to validate the proposed multi-donning approach.Keywords
This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit:
- Fitting Characteristics of Eighteen N95 Filtering-Facepiece RespiratorsJournal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2004
- Variability in Respiratory Protection and the Assigned Protection FactorJournal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2004
- Comparison of Five Methods for Fit-Testing N95 Filtering-Facepiece RespiratorsApplied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2002
- A Modified Protocol for Quantitative Fit Testing Using the PortaCount ®Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2001
- 282. Adequacy of Six Exercises for Laboratory Testing of Respirator PerformancePublished by American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) ,2000
- Simulated Workplace Performance of N95 RespiratorsAihaj Journal, 1999
- Effect of Test Exercises and Mask Donning on Measured Respirator FitApplied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 1999
- Field Performance Measurements of Half-Facepiece Respirators—Foundry OperationsAihaj Journal, 1996
- A PROBABILITY MODEL FOR ASSESSING EXPOSURE AMONG RESPIRATOR WEARERS: PART I—DESCRIPTION OF THE MODELAihaj Journal, 1992
- Reproducibility of Respirator Fit as Measured by Quantitative Fitting TestsAihaj Journal, 1983