RESPIRATORY HEALTH THE RIGHT FIT FOR ALL
As we see an increasingly diverse workforce, with representation across gender, age, ethnicities, and religions, there is a
growing need for respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
that is inclusive for all. This is
particularly important for items that need a tight seal to the face, such as filtering face piece (FFP) disposable masks, which provide critical respiratory protection from solid or liquid particles including dusts, mists and fumes. Such protection is vital across a wide range of industries and applications, including healthcare, manufacturing, construction and pharmaceuticals.
Those specifying respiratory protection equipment for their workforce often focus on the first of the two key steps required in its selection, which is ‘Is it adequate for the hazard and does it reduce exposure to the level required?’ However, the second requirement ‘Is it suitable for the wearer, the task and the environment?’ can be more challenging as it includes the suitability for an individual. Employers are legally required to carry out fit testing for all of their employees who wear tight- fitting respirators, and finding a mask, that will fit, and is suitable for every individual. This is where problems arise.
An example of the significance of the problem is demonstrated by a study conducted in NHS hospitals in 2023 which involved 5604 healthcare workers. A total of 9592 observations were made regarding fit test outcomes on RPE. The study concluded that females and non-white ethnicities were less likely to have a successful respirator fitting, while male and white ethnicity healthcare workers were most likely to achieve RPE fit test success.
This is perhaps not wholly surprising and illustrates that a standard design FFP mask will not accommodate the wide variety of face shapes and facial features present in industry.
Fit is clearly an essential component to ensure safety across all workplace environments but when it comes to respiratory protection, safety of the workforce can also be affected by employees not complying with wearing the equipment, and fit is also relevant here, as poor fitting respiratory equipment will be uncomfortable, or the mask simply ‘won’t feel right’ and therefore workers may wear the RPE incorrectly, or not at all.
When it comes to the fit of a mask, design plays a crucial role and is key to creating RPE that meets
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Designing and manufacturing PPE to meet the needs of today's diverse workforce is essential for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of every worker in the UK, says Ian Kelsall, Technical Specialist of Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) at Draeger Safety UK.
the changing requirements of today's diverse workforce. By understanding the needs of different workers, designers can create equipment that is both functional and comfortable. It is therefore important to consider factors such as fit, weight, and breathability of the mask, as well as the specific hazards that workers may face.
As one of the leading global manufacturers of RPE, Dräger has wide ranging experience across a broad portfolio of air purifying respirators for protection against particles, gases and vapours from FFP masks to Powered Air Purifying Respiratory Protection (PAPR).
When it came to developing Drager’s FFP3 1930, a high-performance, single-use dust mask which is used to provide protection from fine dust and particles, which might, for example, include wood or silica dust, or asbestos, designing a mask which provides a good fit for as many different face shapes and sizes as possible was the priority.
Customer research was conducted with 36 customers across seven countries, benchmarking 16 products through 50 participants, looking at a wide range of face shapes and sizes. The faces of the participants were mapped using a grid system, which looked at the face width, length depth and mouth width.
“BY UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS OF DIFFERENT WORKERS, DESIGNERS CAN CREATE EQUIPMENT THAT IS BOTH FUNCTIONAL AND COMFORTABLE.”
Analysis of this information found that by employing innovative design approaches which focus on a pioneering three-fold design, greater flexibility in both height and width is facilitated. This, combined with easy-adjustment capabilities, ensures that the mask stays in place, which is particularly important in allowing the wearer to speak while maintaining the all-important protective seal for a perfect fit. At the same time, the use of flexible nose clip and soft wide nose pad enables the mask to be effectively positioned and securely sealed in the nose area. As a result of this innovative new approach to the design, it was found that developing masks in two sizes, would accommodate the majority of different face shapes and sizes and extensive testing by Dräger showed a 96% pass rate in face fit test procedures.
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