Quantative Fit Testing for Respiratory Protection

I bet you didn't know that if you go out and buy a P2 mask you will only have a one in four chance that that mask will fit properly for you and provide you with the necessary protection from airborne contaminants. If you buy a half face respirator with a filter your chance of getting one that fits properly and provides adequate protection is only fifty percent. At The Health Advantage we have a commitment to worker health and we want you to be able to wear respiratory protection that works. Respiratory fit testing comes in two types, qualitative and quantitative. At The Health Advantage we are sorely disappointed with the results of qualitative fit testing. This is where you wear a helmet and people squirt various substances in there and see if you can smell them. It is prone to so many errors that we made a decision to only provide quantatative fit testing. This uses a state-of-the-art American made Portacount.

The Portacount samples the air that you breathe and compares it to the outside air to ensure that an appropriate level of filtration is being provided by the mask or respirator. Facial fit is very important and for this reason we carry a large number of different sized P2 and N95 masks and respirators. This allows us to look at the shape and size of a person's face and have a high chance, of picking the type and nature of a mask or respirator that will work first off. The Health Advantage recommends Moldex for respiratory protection and carries a range of their masks and respirators. Our experience with Moldex indicates that we can fit a Moldex mask within one or two tests and a respirator usually on the first test. You can be assured if your worker or yourself is fitted using Portacount quantitative fit testing then your lungs are protected from the harmful effects of dust and chemicals.