RPE & Face Fit Testing

Face Fit Testing

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) Compliance with PPS Environmental (incorporating Barnett Safety)

At PPS Environmental and Barnett Safety, we are committed to protecting workers through our range of professional face fit testing and respiratory protection services. Our expert team specialises in ensuring that you and your workforce are RPE-compliant and protected from respirable airborne contaminants.

Understanding Respiratory Risks in the Workplace

Workplace environments can present significant respiratory hazards that threaten worker health. Harmful substances can contaminate the air in various forms:

Common Respiratory Hazards Include:
  • Dust created when cutting stone or wood (eg Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS))
  • Asbestos fibres
  • Flour dusts and other dusts generated in food processing and manufacturing
  • Volatile solvent vapours and gases
  • Powdery substance particles
  • Welding fumes, particularly from stainless steel
  • Low-oxygen environments such as:
    • Confined spaces
    • Trenches
    • Storage silos
    • Industrial tanks

What is RPE?

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) is a specialised category of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed to protect workers. Many workers wear respirators or breathing apparatus to protect their health in the workplace. These devices are collectively known as RPE. Respirators filter the air to remove harmful substances and breathing apparatus (BA) provides clean air for the worker to breathe when operating in oxygen-deficient environments.
*Sometimes referred to as a Filtering Facepiece (FFP)

What the law says

UK employers have a legal responsibility under various hazard-specific Health and Safety Regulations (listed in paragraphs 36–39 of HSG53, published by the HSE) to control substances hazardous to health in their workplace, and to prevent and adequately control their employees’ exposure to those substances.
Provision of effective RPE may be necessary as part of your control regime

Key Principles of Effective RPE

Adequacy and Suitability

Effective RPE must be:

  • Adequate: Specifically designed to reduce exposure to hazardous substances
  • Suitable: Appropriate for the wearer, task, and working environment

Suitability should be checked by the wearer being successfully Face Fit Tested for each make/model/size RPE device that they have been issued. Face Fit Testing guidance can be found in the HSE's guidance document INDG479.

RPE Servicing and Maintenance

Once issued to your workforce, RPE devices must be checked regularly (monthly in most cases) by a competent person and comprehensive records kept for 5 years. We can either undertake monthly checks and annual servicing for you, or we can equip safety professionals within your team with the knowledge and skills to:
  • Understand respiratory protection requirements
  • Implement effective RPE management strategies
  • Conduct comprehensive respirator assessments - Legally required 'Monthly Mask Checks'

Barnett Safety: Your RPE Product and Service Partner

Through Barnett Safety, our sister company, we provide:
  • Comprehensive range of respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
    - Half-Face masks
    - Full Face Masks
    - Power Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) sets
    - Power units
    - Hoses
    - Headpieces (Loose hoods, PAPR-compatible face masks, with or without integrated hard hat protection)
    - Replacement filters
    - RPE service packs/kits
  • Expert product selection guidance
  • Ongoing service and support for your Stores/HSE teams and RPE wearers
Why Choose PPS Environmental & Barnett Safety?
  • Certified and experienced RPE specialists
  • HSE-approved testing methodologies
  • Tailored solutions for diverse industries
  • Commitment to workplace health and safety
  Industries We Serve
  • Construction
  • Asbestos
  • Manufacturing
  • Healthcare
  • Nuclear
  • Chemical Processing
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Agriculture
  • Mining and Extraction
  • Maritime
Speak to one of our RPE Consultants today
Protect your most valuable asset—your workforce—with professional RPE support from PPS Environmental and Barnett Safety.
Contact us on 0333 358 0060 to discuss your respiratory protection needs.