PortaCount Plus

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PortaCount Plus
Andy Carling Sales Manager TSI Instruments Ltd
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PortaCount Plus face fit tester
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TSI
Who is TSI?

• Instrumentation manufacturer
• Founded 1961
• Instruments for
• Research
• Industry
• Defense

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PortaCount Plus

• Respiratory Protective Equipment
• Whats the problem?
• Why Fit Test?
• Legislation
• Qualitative Quantitative Fit Testing
• PortaCount - How it works
• Features/benefits
• Disposables
• Summary

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Hierarchy of Control COSHH ACoP

• Elimination
• Substitution
• Modify Process
• Total Enclosure
• Partial Enclosure/LEV
• General Ventilation
• PPE/RPE

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What type of RPE?

• All tight fitting RPE
• Breathing Apparatus 350
• Full Face 150
• Half Face 15-100
• Disposables 2-5

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Respirator fit testing

• Facepiece Seal
• Greatest Source of Leakage
• Depends on respirator DESIGN
• Depends on proper respirator SIZE
• Depends on proper DONNING/TRAINING
• Depends on respirator CONDITION
• Depends on the persons FACE

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All respirators leak!!

• Wrong size
• Different shape face
• Stubble/beards
• Dentures
• Scars/moles
• Spectacles
• Weight gain/loss
• Too loose/tight
• Accent/mood
• Work rate

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Why Fit Test?

• Adequate/appropriate mask
• Correct sizing
• Train wearer
• respiratory training
• wear correctly without assistance
• Documented results

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HSE Information Document HSE282/28

• Applied to Asbestos Nuclear industries
• All users of tight fitting RPE

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QLFT QNFT

• Qualitative (QLFT) (without
  instruments)versus Quantitative (QNFT)(with
  instruments)

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Qualitative fit Testing

• Qualitative Fit Testing
• Isoamyl Acetate (banana oil)
• Saccharin (sweet taste)
• Bitrex (bitter taste)

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Quantitative Fit Testing

• Quantitative Fit Testing
• Using wearers own mask
• Objective, definitive field test of respirator
  seal
• Trains wearer to don the mask efficiently

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HSE Protocol - HSE 282/28

• Normal breathing
• Deep breathing
• Head side to side
• Head up down
• Bend touch toes
• Talk out loud (Rainbow Passage)
• Normal breathing

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Protocol specifies

• All exercises must be passed
• Physical exercise should be included
• exercise bike/treadmill/stepping exercise
• 80 sec. exercise include a 60 second in mask
  sample
• Fit testing is part of a comprehensive RPE
  programme

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PortaCount Plus

• Ambient/inside mask
• Condensation Particle Counting
• PASS/FAIL verdict
• Easy to use software
• Covers whole range of RPE from
• BA to disposables
• Documents results

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Ultrafine Particles (lt 0.1 micrometer diameter)
Human Hair 120 µm
Visible Dust 25 µm
Non-visible Dust 10 µm
Common Allergens 5-10 µm
Metallic Fumes 0.3-1 µm
Ultrafine Particles lt 0.1 µm
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Condensation Particle Counting

• 100 year old concept
• Grows microscopic
• particles too small to see
• using evaporated alcohol
• Counted by laser, optics photometer

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PortaCount Theory of Operation
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PortaCount measurement

• Measures ambient
• concentrations of dust particles
• Measures of concentrations inside mask
• Ratio of the two is called a Fit Factor

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Fit Factor

• FF Ambient conc. (n/cc)
• In-mask conc. (n/cc)
• The higher the Fit Factor, the greater the level
  of protection

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Fit Factor - Pass/Fail Levels

• Breathing Apparatus 2000
• Full Face 2000
• Half Face 100
• P3 Disposables 100
• P1/P2 25

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WWII Gas masks

• Gas mask protection from WWII

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How do we test disposables?
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How do we test disposables?
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How do we test disposables?
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How do we test disposables?
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How do we test disposables?
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How do we test disposables?
Sampling
Pendant
P
C
ORTA
OUNT
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Summary

• RPE - last defence against hazardous substances
• Company expense/investment
• Why Fit Test?
• Ensure right size/train the wearer document
  results
• Legislation
• Quantitative vs. Qualitative
• PortaCount Plus complies with UK HSE legislation
• Protects the
• Employee from exposure to harmful substances
• Employer from exposure to harmful courts

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Questions?
QUESTIONS? acarling_at_tsi.com TSI UK Tel 44
(0)1275 847837 Fax [phone]