N95 Respirator
Health Clearance, Training and Fit-Testing

Some working environments and processes require that you use respiratory protection when engineering controls and administrative practices alone will not provide sufficient worker protection. While the decision and approval to use a respirator typically requires a risk assessment, many work assignments at UCD require use of an N95 respirator based on well understood working conditions and risk factors. For those workers, the process to obtain N95 or equivalent respiratory protection is described below and will not require an individual risk assessment for normal working situations. It should be understood that the N95 mask provides limited and specific protection to the user and it is important to attend training and become aware of the limitations of the protection offered with these masks. If your department has indicated that you will need to obtain fit testing for N95, the following is the process you will follow. If this has not been indicated as a part of your job requirements, but you believe that you need respiratory protection, contact the UCD Industrial Hygienerepresentative in the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office by e-mailing EH&SRespirator.Fittest@ucdenver.edu. If you do not receive a timely reply please call our main office at 303-724-0345.

WHAT YOU NEED for approval to wear an N95:

Before you can obtain approval to wear an N95 respirator you will need to:

• Complete the following paperwork and take it to the EHS Occupational Health Nurse (Teran Williams) in Building 401, room R09-205 or mail them to her at Campus Box F484.
  • Health Clearance Form - You and/or your supervisor fill this form out to provide information on the nature of your work. This same form is then signed by the medical health care provider when granting medical clearance. Required – must be completed and fully executed (signed by health provider) before fit testing.
  • Respirator Medical Questionnaire – You fill this out. It contains several pages of health questions for you to answer and provides the health care professional information about your health that will help them decide if you can safely wear a respirator and/or if additional medical assessment might be required.
• Training – you must complete training before using a respirator of any type. For the N95, sign up for training below.
• Fit testing – you must be fit tested to the model, style and size respirator you will ultimately use. If you use more than one type, you must be tested for both/all models. Here is what you should bring and know before fit testing:
  • You must bring a respirator with you to get fit tested . Respirators are not provided by EHS. You must use only the type, model and style you have been fit tested to. Contact your department for information on what they provide. It is best if you bring more than one size.
  • Also bring any other personal protective equipment (PPE) you will be wearing on your face/head while you wear your respirator (safety goggles, glasses, hard hat)
  • Review the fit test “ important information ” information below at least a day before your fit test is scheduled.
  • Shave – you must be clean shaven. Some mustaches and short cropped goatees (e.g., small goatee or “soul patch”) may work, but the majority of the face and neck (where mask touches) must be clean shaven or fit will be impaired. If you show up with three days growth and/or a full beard, you will not be fit tested. To ensure your protection, you must shave whenever using a respirator.
  • Your final fit test record becomes your approval (for that mask type and size).

Training

You must complete training before you can be fit tested and receive final approval to use a respirator. Proof is required before you will be fit tested so make sure that you get your name on the sign in log at training.

Once training is completed and your Health Clearance Form and Medical Questionnaire are reviewed, we will contact you to schedule a fit test. In most cases, fit-tests will be accomplished the same week as your training class. NOTE: You must provide your own N95 respirator for the class and fit-test.

Training Classes Available:

If you wish to register, please fill out the online registration form below. If you need assistance or have any further questions, please email HW/BBPTraining@uchsc.edu or call Environmental Health & Safety at 303/724-0345. The information below is required to register for a class. Please remember that you must supply your own N95 respirator mask for the training and fit-test.

N95 Respirator Class Registration

 Fit Testing

Before your fit-testing, each employee must complete N95 Training and submit a Health Clearance Form and Medical Questionnaire to Teran Williams in the EHS Occupational Health Office.  Once training has been completed and the health clearance form has been approved by our medical director, you may be fit-tested.  For specific questions regarding the Occupational Health Program, please e-mail EHS.OccupationalHealthcareProg@ucdenver.edu

There may be a fee for fit testing. Please know the Speed Type number for the account you wish to use to pay this fee.

Notes on fit-testing after your training class is complete: Fit testing conducted by UCD EHS is quantitative and calibration of the testing unit requires advanced preparation. Though your testing should not last longer than a half hour, an hour will be scheduled for conducting each person's testing. Due to the nature of prep work needed for the instrumentation, walk-ins cannot be accommodated. .

Important Information

For instrument testing (quantitative testing), you must not smoke for at least thirty minutes prior to fit-testing because the affects can interfere with the instrument readings. If the instrument is being serviced or is otherwise unavailable, a "taste & smell" test is used (qualitative fit test). This test requires that the wearer NOT eat or drink anything but water for one hour prior to the fit test.

The N95 respirator is only effective when in full contact with the skin. Hence, wearers must ensure that any facial hair is shaven from the areas where the mask touches the face each and every time you use your respirator. If you will be wearing glasses or goggles while using your N95, bring these with you to your fit test session.

You must obtain a new fit test any time you have a change that can impact the fit of your mask. If any of the following occurs, you must schedule a new fit test (you won't need to repeat training and/or the medical forms to re-do fit testing unless you were due for refresher training, etc.:

• Weight gain or loss of 10 pounds or more
• Significant dental changes - such as new dentures, front teeth capped or veneered, braces, etc.
• Changes to facial features – plastic surgery, broken nose or jaw, etc.
• Facial hair changes – i.e., you grew a goatee or mustache
• New glasses, or other head gear that is affected by the mask or vise versa
• Change in the brand, type, model, or size of the mask you will use.