Face Fit Testing
Safety and Health
Face Fit Testing
What is Face fit Testing?
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH), employees who wear tight-fitting facepieces (masks to protect them from dusts, solvents, etc.) are required to have a face fit test to ensure the facepiece/mask matches the employee’s facial features and will provide an adequate seal to protect the wearer. Tight-fitting face pieces, dust masks, solvent masks, face masks, RPE and respiratory protective equipment are all terms for the same thing – a mask used to reduce the airborne hazards entering the lungs. A Face fit test is only required for masks with a tight face seal.
Why Face Fit Test?
Every individual has a uniquely shaped face, whereas all masks of the same make and model are identical. Therefore one size clearly cannot fit nor adequately protect every individual. To ensure the mask adequately protects the person, a Face Fit Test should be completed.
We offer a quantitative face fit testing approach using a TSI Portacount and qualitative face fit testing using a taste test in a hood. The Portacount method avoids subjective test differences that can be associated with qualitative testing.
We can help you to manage this by completing face fit testing for your employees. These can be part of a health surveillance program or a standalone face fit test. It typically includes a questionnaire in the first instance, then a person wearing their own mask performing a series of tests to establish if the mask fits correctly under the normal stresses of use. One face fit test is required for each different type of mask used.
Following the face fit test, the employee and the employer will be given a Fitness for Work Certificate stating the outcome as pass or fail.
Where can Face Fit Testing be Carried Out?
As with most of our services, these can be at your workplace or our offices in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. If it’s only a handful of people or individuals, then our office works well, otherwise, it makes sense to arrange face fit testing at your workplace.
Why do you Need to be Clean Shaven?
If you’re wearing a tight-fitting mask at work, beards and stubble could be putting you at risk. Such masks need to form a proper seal against the face to work. Even a little facial hair growth can break that seal, allowing harmful substances to slip through. Your mask is only effective if it fits properly.
That’s why the HSE says workers must be clean shaven in the area where the mask fits.
If you have a beard for personal or cultural reasons, there are alternative options like powered hoods or helmets that don’t rely on a tight seal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Face Fit testing a legal requirement in the UK?
Yes – face fit testing is a legal requirement in the UK for anyone using tight‑fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
This includes equipment such as FFP3 masks and half‑mask respirators. Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, employers must ensure that RPE is suitable for the wearer — which includes proving it fits properly.
Face fit testing must:
- Be carried out before the RPE is first used
- Be repeated if anything changes that could affect fit (e.g. facial features or mask type)
Without a valid face fit test, tight‑fitting RPE cannot be relied on to provide adequate protection.
Who needs face fit testing in a workplace?
Anyone who must wear tight‑fitting respiratory protective equipment (RPE) at work needs face fit testing.
This includes employees using:
- Disposable masks (e.g. FFP2 or FFP3)
- Reusable half‑mask or full‑face respirators
Face fit testing is required wherever RPE is used to protect against hazards such as dust, fumes, fibres, mists, gases, vapours, or biological agents.
Typical roles that may need testing include:
- Construction workers
- Healthcare staff
- Engineers and welders
- Painters and manufacturing workers
The purpose of face fit testing is to ensure the mask forms a proper seal to the wearer’s face, so it provides the intended level of protection.
How often should face fit testing be carried out?
Face fit testing must be carried out before a worker first uses a tight‑fitting respirator.
There is no fixed legal requirement for how often it must be repeated. However, best practice is:
- Every 2 years → widely accepted baseline
- Annually → common in higher‑risk environments
- More frequently → for high‑hazard work (e.g. asbestos or healthcare settings)
Face fit testing should also be repeated whenever anything changes that could affect the fit, such as:
- Significant weight change
- Dental work
- Facial surgery or scarring
- A change in mask type, model, or size
Wearers should carry out a fit check every time they put on their respirator to ensure it seals properly.
What does a face fit test involve (and how long does it take?)
A face fit test checks whether a tight‑fitting respirator forms a proper seal on the wearer’s face.
The process usually includes:
- Showing the wearer how to correctly fit and adjust the mask
- Carrying out either:
- A qualitative test (detecting a taste from a harmless test solution), or
- A quantitative test (using equipment to measure any leakage)
- Completing a series of simple movements and breathing exercises to simulate real working conditions
A face fit test usually takes around 20–30 minutes per person, depending on the type of mask and whether adjustments are needed.
What is face fit testing and why is it important?
Face fit testing is the process of checking that a tight‑fitting respirator forms an effective seal on the wearer’s face.
Because everyone’s face shape is different, a mask that fits one person may not fit another.
Face fit testing is important because:
- Respirators only work properly if they fit correctly
- A poor seal can allow harmful substances (dust, fumes, vapours, fibres) to leak in
- It helps protect workers from exposure to airborne hazards
- It supports compliance with UK health and safety regulations
In short, face fit testing ensures the respirator actually provides the level of protection it’s designed to deliver.
