1.<\/strong> Workers with facial hairs, such as a\u202fbeard, present an issue when selecting a proper respirator for respiratory protection, as tight-fitting PAPRs are not recommended, which limits the choice of selection.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Even if workers are clean-shaven, for many organizations, the annual fit-testing is a pain and burden, as it is time-consuming and costly, especially when the workforce is large or has\u202fa\u202fhigh turnover rate.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”However, although loose-fitting PAPRs like 3M Versoflo are a\u202fgood fit” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”07a58f57-a818-47c0-8b0c-380310afb10c” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n However, although loose-fitting PAPRs like 3M Versoflo are a\u202fgood fit for some niche applications, it is by no means the most suitable solution for many other work conditions, such as:<\/p>\n All the above shortcomings could be resolved by PAPRs with facepieces without helmets, hose, and belt-mounted Power units, provided the facepieces of either half-face or full-face can be both tight-fitting and loose-fitting, such that they don\u2019t require a fit test when a lower level of protection can be accepted, but can provide higher protection when fit-tested.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”e8fbeac3-aca3-429f-ad44-44361038c58b” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”0px|20px|22px|10px|false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”07a58f57-a818-47c0-8b0c-380310afb10c” header_font=”||||on|||#000000|” header_text_color=”#000000″ header_3_font=”||||on|||#000000|” header_3_text_color=”#fe4f00″ custom_margin=”|-12px|19px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” header_3_line_height=”1.3em” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”07a58f57-a818-47c0-8b0c-380310afb10c” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n If we refer to AS\/NZS 1715-2009, it defines both half facepiece and full facepiece as tight-fitting devices.<\/p>\n The Standard also demands a suitable fit test to be carried out for RPE with a tight-fitting facepiece.<\/p>\n Note that, the definition of a fit test requires testing the fit during the\u202fPower Off mode of a PAPR. Surely, with hairs present between the facepiece and the facial skin, the fit test will fail miserably.<\/p>\n Therefore, the Standard goes further by stating that no one who requires respiratory protection shall wear either a full facepiece or half facepiece RPE over a beard.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”e8fbeac3-aca3-429f-ad44-44361038c58b” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”0px|20px|22px|8px|false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”07a58f57-a818-47c0-8b0c-380310afb10c” global_colors_info=”{}”]Aimwell as a designer and manufacturer of respirators disagrees with the Standard in this overly general, absolute, and out-of-date statement.<\/p>\n Here is our rationale:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”07a58f57-a818-47c0-8b0c-380310afb10c” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The new ISO respiratory standard ISO 16973-2023 specifies Respiratory Interface Classes with loose-fitting for a few types of facepieces as below:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/table.jpg” title_text=”table” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”0f4f2fa1-bfda-4e95-aabe-9fee79e9a963″ custom_padding=”|435px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”07a58f57-a818-47c0-8b0c-380310afb10c” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_margin=”|-20px||-8px||”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”e8fbeac3-aca3-429f-ad44-44361038c58b” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”0px|20px|22px|7px|false|false”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”07a58f57-a818-47c0-8b0c-380310afb10c” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_margin=”|-15px||||”]The Total Inward Leakage (TIL) test clause specified in AS\/NZS 1716:2012 for PAPRs doesn\u2019t differentiate between loose-fitting and tight-fitting, as only Power On mode is used. As such, PAPRs with head covering, which are considered loose-fitting PAPRs, can achieve PAPR P3 protection class if the TIL result is within the\u202fPAPR P3 level, the highest level a tight-fitting PAPR can reach. This doesn\u2019t sound right as we know loose-fitting PAPRs normally provide less protection than properly fit-tested tight-fitting PAPRs when the\u202fpressure goes negative in the breathing zone, and this is perhaps a key shortcoming of the Standard. <\/p>\n To this end, European Standards are written more appropriately by having EN 12942 for tight-fitting PAPRs and EN 12941 for loose-fitting PAPRs, where EN 12942 needs to test in Power On and Off modes, which makes sense for tight-fitting PAPRs, and EN 12941 tests in Power On mode only, which makes sense for loose-fitting PAPRs. <\/p>\n The highest class in EN 12942 is TM3, and the highest class in EN 12941 is TH3, where TM3 is 4 times better protection than TH3, this also makes sense. <\/p>\n So the ultimate issue\/bottleneck in Australia is whether or not AS\/NZS1715 and AS\/NZS 1716 can be updated to recognize facepieces can be loose-fitting, and the protection level differences between tight-fitting and loose-fitting PAPRs. <\/p>\n Before this can happen, organizations with many bearded workers or high turnover rates have to rely on open minds and sound judgment from decision-makers, in particular, occupational hygienists in qualifying more suitable respirators that are\u202fotherwise not permitted to use if following the current Australian Standards dogmatically. <\/p>\n As a respirator designer and manufacturer, Aimwell believes AYO WX Around-neck PAPR series can normally work as both tight-fitting and loose-fitting and are better suited for a wide range of worksites and conditions than loose-fitting only PAPRs due to AYO WX unique practicality and flexibility by design. [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”e8fbeac3-aca3-429f-ad44-44361038c58b” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”07a58f57-a818-47c0-8b0c-380310afb10c” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n About the author:<\/p>\n Eric Fu, founder and managing director of Aimwell, has over 25 years of experience in breathing device design and manufacture.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the area of WHS on respiratory protection, there are two common issues: 1. Workers with facial hairs, such as a\u202fbeard, present an issue when selecting a proper respirator for respiratory protection, as tight-fitting PAPRs are not recommended, which limits the choice of selection. 2. Even if workers are clean-shaven, for many organizations, the annual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","two_page_speed":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industrial-protection-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7598"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7802,"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7598\/revisions\/7802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aimwellbreathing.com\/zh\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Here comes the question of this article: Can Facepieces be loose-fitting?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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