Half-face
3M and North (Honeywell). Pass level used on our record: overall fit factor of 100 or greater.
WorkSafeBC · CSA Z94.4-18 (R2023)
Quantitative fit testing. The mask they will wear.
A taste or smell test is not what we do. We run a quantitative fit test and record the instrument’s overall fit factor against the CSA pass level for that facepiece.
Full-face
3M and North (Honeywell). Pass level used on our record: overall fit factor of 1000 or greater for a tight-fitting air-purifying full facepiece.
Annual, and sooner if something changes
WorkSafeBC expects tight-fitting respirators to be fit tested to CSA Z94.4. We book the annual test, and a new test when the model, the size, or the wearer’s face changes — weight, dental work, or a different brand of mask.
What to bring
- The respirator the worker will use on the job, clean and with the right cartridges off for the test protocol.
- A face that is clean-shaven where the seal sits. Stubble in the seal area fails the test before the machine does.
- The glasses, hood, or other gear they wear with the mask, so we see the real interference.
- Employer confirmation they are medically cleared to wear a respirator.
Supplies
Safety supplies are available for purchase on request — including half-face and full-face respirators from 3M and North (Honeywell). We fit test the unit the worker leaves with, not a demo mask that stays in the drawer.
Call for current rates and what is on the shelf. We don’t publish a price that might be last year’s.
Pass levels on the Primal Safety record follow the quantitative criteria long used for tight-fitting air-purifying respirators under CSA Z94.4: 100 for a half-facepiece and 1000 for a full-facepiece. If a client program states a different number, we test to that program and write it on the record. The instrument’s overall fit factor is what we record — exercises are not averaged by hand.