Qualitative and Quantitative Face-Fit Testing

There are two Face-Fit Testing methods, these are known as: Qualitative and Quantitative tests. RPA can provide both Qualitative and Quantitative tests, on-site throughout the UK.

Qualitative Tests

Qualitative tests rely on the wearer’s subjective assessment of faceseal leakage. These methods, during a set of test exercises, use the wearer’s sense of smell or taste to detect faceseal leakage of a test agent. Qualitative tests are subject to problems with sensitivity, lack of objectiveness and inability to provide a numerical result. For these reasons Qualitative tests can only be employed for fit testing of filtering facepieces (disposable masks) and half masks, not full face masks.

3M Qualitative Fit Test Kit

Quantitative Tests

Quantitative tests can be used to fit test all types of tight-fitting masks including disposable, half and full face masks. Quantitative tests give an objective assessment of facial fit and provide a direct numerical result called a Fit Factor.

The most widely-used quantitative method for RPE fit testing is the Particle Counting Device method, a title ascribed to the TSI Portacount Plus. The Portacount Plus measures the number of ambient particles inside and outside a facepiece and provides a numerical result which is the ratio of the two over a given test period. As in all other methods, the wearer should perform a series of exercises during the fit testing procedure (see HSE 282/28 Protocols for more details on test exercises and pass levels)

Portacount Plus