Section 296-842-22010. Follow these fit-testing procedures for tight-fitting respirators.

IMPORTANT:

• This section contains procedural requirements that apply during actual fit testing.

• See WAC 296-842-15005 of this chapter for fit-testing requirements that apply to your overall program.

Exemptions:	This section does NOT apply to employees who:
	•	Voluntarily use respirators;
	OR
	•	Are required to use mouthpiece respirators.

(1) Follow the procedure in Table 11 to choose a respirator for fit testing:

(a) Prior to conducting fit tests;

AND

(b) Any time your employee must select a different respirator such as when a previously selected respirator fails a test.

(2) Select and follow at least one of the following fit test procedures:

(a) Qualitative fit-test procedures:

♦ Isoamyl acetate vapor (IAA, banana oil) in Table 12;

♦ Saccharine aerosol in Table 13;

♦ Bitrex™ aerosol in Table 14;

♦ Irritant smoke in Table 15.

(b) Quantitative fit-test procedures:

♦ Ambient aerosol condensation nuclei counter such as the Portacount™, in Table 16;

♦ Controlled negative pressure (CNP) such as the FitTester 3000™, in Table 17;

♦ Generated aerosol in Table 18.

(3) Make sure employees perform the appropriate fit-test exercises listed in Table 19.

(4) Clean and maintain equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions.

(5) Make sure during fit testing employees wear any safety equipment that could:

(a) Interfere with respirator fit;

AND

(b) Be worn in the workplace. For example, chemical splash goggles.

(6) Check, prior to fit testing, for conditions that may interfere with the respirator seal or valve functions. If you find such conditions, do NOT conduct fit testing for that individual.

Note:	Examples of conditions that may interfere with the respirator seal or valve functions include:
	•	Moustache, stubble, sideburns, bangs, hairline, and other types of facial hair in areas where the respirator facepiece seals or that interfere with valve function.
	•	Temple bars of corrective eyewear or headgear that extend through the face seal area.

(7) Follow the appropriate fit test exercises in Table 19 as indicated.

Table 11

Table 12

Table 13

Table 14

Table 15

Table 16

Table 17

Table 18

Table 19

1The Rainbow Passage:
"When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act like a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These take the shape of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon. There is, according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.050 and 29 C.F.R. Subpart Z. WSR 09-19-119, § 296-842-22010, filed 9/22/09, effective 12/1/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 07-05-072, § 296-842-22010, filed 2/20/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 03-20-114, § 296-842-22010, filed 10/1/03, effective 1/1/04.]

RCW 49.17.050 and 29 C.F.R. Subpart Z. WSR 09-19-119, § 296-842-22010, filed 9/22/09, effective 12/1/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 07-05-072, § 296-842-22010, filed 2/20/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 03-20-114, § 296-842-22010, filed 10/1/03, effective 1/1/04.

Rules

296-842-15005,