Face fit testing is required under the COSHH, CLAW and CAW Regulations for all tight-fitting face-pieces.
Qualitative Fit Testing is a pass/fail test that is dependent on a subjective response from the respirator wearer.
The person is fit tested while wearing a respirator inside a hood, a sweet or bitter spray is sprayed inside the hood whilst the person carries out some exercises, if the wearer detects the smell of the spray during the test than the fit test is deemed as unsatisfactory. Types of qualitative fit testing agents are saccharin, bitrex, isoamyl acetate (banana oil).
Qualitative fit testing is only for disposable masks and half mask respirators.
