Face Fit Testing Middlesbrough & Teesside
We come to your workplace, test your employees and provide clear face fit test records for the specific RPE they have been tested to wear.
Safety Inspectors UK provides qualitative face fit testing for FFP2, FFP3 and suitable reusable half-mask RPE throughout Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Teesside and the wider North East of England.
Nationwide face fit testing is also available for businesses operating across multiple UK locations.
Buying the mask isn't the same as protecting the worker.
Tight-fitting respiratory protective equipment only works as intended when it can form an effective seal against the individual wearer's face.
People have different face shapes and sizes. That means an FFP3 respirator that fits one employee may not adequately fit another.
Face fit testing helps establish whether a particular make, model and size of tight-fitting RPE can achieve an adequate fit for the person who will actually wear it.
Where an employee passes in a particular make, model, type and size, that is the RPE they should subsequently be provided with.
Right mask.
Right person.
Right fit.
A box marked FFP3 tells you what the respirator is capable of. It does not tell you whether that respirator fits the employee wearing it.
- Identify the wearer
- Identify the exact RPE
- Complete the fit-test procedure
- Record pass or fail
- Keep evidence of the test
See your estimated cost before you enquire.
Small bookings need to cover travel, setup and testing time. Larger workforce bookings benefit from lower average per-person pricing.
Face Fit Testing Price Calculator
Enter the number of qualitative face fit tests required.
If the same employee needs to be tested in two different makes, models or sizes, enter these as two separate tests.
Calculator prices are indicative and subject to confirmation. Travel outside the local Middlesbrough / Teesside service area is quoted separately.
Local pricing includes attendance and setup. Bookings of more than 20 tests, multi-site projects and larger workforce programmes are priced individually.
We come to you. We test your staff. You get the record.
The service is designed to give employers a practical, documented face fit testing process without unnecessary disruption to the workplace.
1. Pre-Test Checks
We confirm the wearer, respirator and relevant factors that could affect whether the test can proceed.
2. Sensitivity Test
The wearer's ability to detect the qualitative test agent is established before the fit test.
3. RPE Check
The exact make, model, size and type of respirator being tested is identified.
4. Face Fit Test
The wearer completes the appropriate qualitative face fit test procedure.
5. Clear Result
A pass or fail outcome is established for the particular wearer and RPE combination.
6. Test Record
The test is documented so you can maintain evidence within your workplace RPE records.
FFP2, FFP3 & reusable half-mask RPE.
Our current service uses the qualitative face fit testing method, often referred to as the taste-test method.
This can be used with appropriate tight-fitting filtering facepieces and reusable half-mask respirators.
- FFP3 respirators
- FFP2 respirators
- Filtering facepieces
- Reusable half-mask respirators
- Suitable tight-fitting half-face RPE
What about full-face respirators?
Full-face tight-fitting respirators require an appropriate quantitative face fit testing method.
Our current service is focused on qualitative testing of appropriate filtering facepieces and half masks.
If you are unsure what method you require, speak to us before booking.
Ask About Your RPEGet your team ready for testing.
Clean shaven means clean shaven.
Tight-fitting RPE depends on direct contact between the respirator sealing surface and the wearer's skin.
Facial hair or stubble crossing the seal can interfere with that contact.
Anyone being tested should therefore be clean shaven in the area where the respirator seals against the face.
Be clean shaven
No beard growth or stubble crossing the sealing surface.
Prepare for the taste test
For at least 30 minutes before qualitative testing, avoid eating, smoking, chewing gum or drinking anything other than still, unflavoured water.
Have the correct RPE available
The make, model and size intended for use should be available for the test.
Bring relevant PPE
Glasses, goggles, head protection and other PPE worn with the respirator may affect fit.
Know how to put the mask on
Face fit testing should sit alongside suitable instruction and training in the correct use of the RPE.
Built for workplaces where RPE is actually used.
We support businesses where tight-fitting respiratory protection forms part of the control measures for dust, fumes and other airborne hazards.
Construction
Face fit testing for workers using RPE for silica, cutting, drilling, grinding and construction dust.
Welding & Fabrication
Supporting RPE arrangements where tight-fitting respirators form part of welding-fume controls.
Motor Trade & Bodyshops
Face fit testing for workshop, preparation, sanding and relevant vehicle-repair activities.
Engineering & Manufacturing
On-site testing for engineering, production, fabrication and maintenance teams.
Woodworking & Joinery
Supporting workers using tight-fitting RPE as part of controls for wood dust.
Property & Maintenance
Testing for tradespeople, maintenance teams and contractors using tight-fitting RPE.
Face Fit Testing Across Middlesbrough, Teesside & North East England
Safety Inspectors UK provides on-site face fit testing from our Middlesbrough base to businesses throughout Teesside and the wider North East.
For larger teams, multi-site employers and national organisations, workplace face fit testing can also be arranged across the UK.
Face fit testing based on recognised HSE guidance.
Our qualitative face fit testing is delivered by a trained qualitative face fit tester.
Testing is undertaken with reference to recognised guidance for RPE fit testing and respiratory protective equipment, including HSE INDG479 and HSG53.
Face fit testing should not be treated as a substitute for selecting adequate and suitable RPE. The respirator must still provide the correct protection for the hazard, task and working environment.
Official HSE Guidance
- HSE INDG479 – Guidance on RPE Fit Testing
- HSE HSG53 – Respiratory Protective Equipment at Work
- HSE – Fit Testing Basics
The mask is only one part of the control system.
Safety Inspectors UK provides wider health and safety support, so we can also help where the underlying COSHH, RPE selection or exposure-control arrangements need reviewing.
Health & Safety Consultancy
Wider support with COSHH, workplace risk assessment, RPE management and health and safety systems.
Health & Safety Consultancy →Welding Fume
Practical guidance on welding-fume assessment, controls and respiratory protection.
Welding Fume Guidance →Face Fit Testing FAQs
Do you provide face fit testing in Middlesbrough?
Yes. Safety Inspectors UK provides on-site qualitative face fit testing from our Middlesbrough base throughout Middlesbrough, Teesside and the wider North East.
How much does face fit testing cost?
Local workplace face fit testing starts from £150 + VAT. The average cost reduces for larger groups. Five tests are currently £225 + VAT, ten tests £350 + VAT and twenty tests £500 + VAT. Larger workforce bookings are quoted individually.
Do you provide FFP3 face fit testing?
Yes. Qualitative face fit testing can be used for suitable FFP3 filtering facepiece respirators.
Can you test FFP2 masks?
Yes. Appropriate FFP2 filtering facepiece respirators can also be tested using the qualitative method.
Can you test reusable half masks?
Yes. Appropriate reusable half-mask respirators can be tested using qualitative face fit testing.
Can you face fit test full-face masks?
Full-face tight-fitting respirators require an appropriate quantitative face fit testing method. Our current testing service uses the qualitative method for suitable filtering facepieces and half-mask respirators.
Do employees need to be clean shaven?
Employees should not have facial hair or stubble crossing the respirator sealing surface when being tested or when subsequently using tight-fitting RPE.
Can you come to our workplace?
Yes. Our face fit testing service is designed primarily around workplace visits. We cover Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Hartlepool, Darlington, Durham, Sunderland, Newcastle and wider UK locations.
What if one person wears two different respirators?
The fit-test result relates to the specific make, model and size tested. If an employee needs to wear two different respirators, each relevant facepiece should be tested appropriately.
When should face fit testing be repeated?
Further testing should be considered where the make, model, type or size of RPE changes, or where changes to the wearer could materially affect the fit.
Are you Fit2Fit Accredited?
Our qualitative face fit testing is delivered by a trained face fit tester. Fit2Fit accreditation requires a separate individual competency assessment in addition to training. We do not currently claim Fit2Fit Accredited status.
Need face fit testing? We'll come to your workplace.
On-site qualitative FFP2, FFP3 and half-mask face fit testing throughout Middlesbrough, Teesside and North East England — with nationwide UK coverage available.
Check Pricing Request A Quote Call 0330 1226 337Safety Inspectors UK Ltd · 9 River Court, Brighouse Rd, Middlesbrough TS2 1RT