Audit of qualitative fit testing for FFP3 respirators

Robertson, Sarah; Ramsdale, Martin P.

Introduction Dental team members require fit testing for respirators to deliver aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five general dental practitioners (GDPs) in Yorkshire and the Humber were trained to fit test staff at urgent dental care sites (UDCs) with filtering facepiece (FFP3) respirators. Aim To review the quality of fit test records and provide an overview of the outcome of fit testing of UDC staff. Method Audit of fit test records for FFP3 respirators against Health and Safety Executive standards. Results Six percent of records had missing or incomplete data and 6% of fit test records required follow-up. Of 583 people fit tested with an FFP3 respirator, 80.6% (470/583) passed the test and 19.4% (113/583) failed. Of those, 479 individuals were fitted with a 3M 1873V respirator, of which 82.7% (396/479) passed the test and 17.3% (83/479) failed. Discussion The audit enabled efficient resolution of problems associated with fit testing, informed learning needs and highlighted that a significant proportion of individuals are unable to wear certain makes/models of respirators. Conclusion GDPs have been successfully trained to provide fit testing and make accurate fit test records. The high fit test failure rate for FFP3 respirators has important ramifications for delivery of safe dental care during the pandemic.