Our Health & Safety Services

Respirator Fit Testing

Quantitative Fit Testing
Training and Competency
Pricing and Location Options
Respirator User Requirements

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Respirator fit testing

Overview

Respiratory protection is often used as a last line of defense against airborne hazards in the workplace. When providing a worker with respiratory equipment, the worker must be fit tested for the specific make, model and size of respirator being used.

Our Services

Quantitative Fit Testing

Norpro's comprehensive fit testing services ensure that your employees are equipped with properly fitted respirators, offering a critical line of defense against airborne hazards. Our Respirator Fit Testing Services include:


  • Quantitative Respirator Fit Testing completed in compliance with CSA Z94.4 – Selection, Use & Care of Respirators.
  • Fit testing for both half-mask and full-face elastomeric respirators used both as negative pressure or with PAPR or SCBA units.
  • Fit testing for disposable filtering-facepiece series 100/99/95 masks is also available.

Each employee will leave the fit test with a laminated fit test card. An electronic copy of the detailed fit test report will be e-mailed to the client for record retention.

Training and Competency

In addition to providing a fit test, Norpro H&S will verify user competency on:


  • Respirator inspection, donning, performing user seal checks and doffing.
  • How to properly maintain and store a respirator.

User competency will be documented on the record that is provided to the client following completion of the fit test and can be used to support the clients required training provisions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Pricing and Location Options

Norpro offers multiple pricing options for our fit testing services:


  • Per test rates are available for fit tests scheduled and completed at our office (477 Queen Street East). Making it easy to schedule employees at any time.
  • Punch card options are available for clients wanting to purchase a set number of fit tests at a bulk discounted rate. Punch cards are available in quantities of 10, 20, and 50 and expire 3 years from the purchased date. The more you buy the more you save!
  • On-site rates for fit testing to be completed at your site. We will come to you! Great for fit testing large numbers of employees while on shift.

Respirator User Requirements

Employees scheduled for fit testing are required to:


  • Report to their fit test clean shaven to ensure an adequate seal (shaved within 24 hours of appointment).
  • Complete a user screening form at the time of appointment, and if required, seek clearance from a healthcare professional prior to undergoing a fit test.

Employees are also encouraged to bring any additional site required PPE (e.g. hard hat, safety glasses) to the fit test appointment.
If you have questions about pricing or would like to book an appointment, contact us today!

Need to ask something?

FAQ About Respirator Fit Testing

For protection against the inhalation of airborne hazards including viruses and particulate matter, a NIOSH-approved N95 respirator or equivalent is required in certain situations, such as when performing aerosol generating procedures or when providing direct care to individuals confirmed or suspected to have the virus of concern. For these situations where N95 respirators are used as personal protective equipment, workers must be tested for the respirators, and must be trained on the use, care and limitations of the respirator.


Both a surgical mask and a respirator will help prevent the transmission of viruses by reducing the amount of droplets released into the air when a person talks, coughs or sneezes. A respirator, however, adds a layer of protection by also preventing the person wearing the respirator from breathing in potentially contaminated air. This is because a respirator generally fits more tightly on the face and is made of a material that can remove both large and smaller sized droplets from the air. For this reason, surgical masks do not require fit testing, as they should not be worn as a means of protection for the user and inhalation hazards.

Although both quantitative and qualitative fit test methods are accepted under CSA Standard Z94.4-18 for most classes of respiratory protection including filtering facepiece respirators, there are a few exceptions where quantitative respirator fit testing is required:

  • For full facepieces used in negative-pressure (air purifying) configurations if the assigned protection factor (APF) of > 10 is required (i.e., if airborne concentrations of contaminants exceed 10 times the occupational exposure limit). This is often the case in hazardous environments where full-faced respirators are required.
  • Facepieces used in SCBAs for structural firefighting must be quantitatively fit tested.

Aside from the requirements of the CSA Standard, quantitative fit testing uses a fit testing instrument(s) to provide quantitative, or numerical, measurements of the amount of face seal leakage present when a user wears a respirator. Qualitative fit test relies on the respirator wearer’s senses to determine if there is a gap in the seal of the respirator to the wearer’s face. So, due to its subjective nature, it relies heavily on the wearer’s sense of taste or smell, which can lead to inaccurate results due to variations in individual sensitivity, and a higher risk of false positives (wearer deliberately tries to pass the test by not accurately reporting leakage detection).

Ontario Regulation 833 – Control of Exposure to Chemical and Biological Agents as written under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, requires that a respirator that is designed to be tight-fitting shall be tested for fit by either quantitative or qualitative fit testing methods. CSA Standard Z94.4 outlines that fit tests shall be carried out at least every 2 years for respirator users.

Testimonials

“ When we have a large number of employees coming due for fit testing, Norpro H&S comes to our office. It makes scheduling the employees for their tests so much easier than having to send them off-site. It also makes maintaining compliance with our fit testing requirements so much easier. Workforces with many employees requiring fit testing, like ours, would benefit from using a fit testing service like Norpos. ”

— Caralena Dumanski, ISM Industrial

Get In Touch

If you would like to work with us or just want to get in touch, we’d love to hear from you!

1-800-461-5114
healthandsafety@norpro.ca
1-800-461-5114
healthandsafety@norpro.ca