FFP3 & FFP2 Face Fit Testing

Why disposables need testing at all

A disposable mask only protects to its rating if it seals against the skin. The rating on the box — FFP2, FFP3 — describes what the filter material can do. It says nothing about whether that particular mask seals against that particular face. Faces differ enormously in bridge height, cheek width and jaw shape, and a mask that seals perfectly on one person can leak badly on the next.

That gap is why fit testing exists, and why the law requires it wherever tight-fitting RPE is used to control exposure.

What we test

• FFP3 — the standard on most silica, asbestos-adjacent, hardwood dust and construction work in the UK
• FFP2 — lower-hazard dust work and many healthcare and laboratory settings
• FFP1 — where it is still in use
• Valved and unvalved, cup-shaped, flat-fold and duckbill styles
• Any manufacturer — 3M, Moldex, JSP, Alpha Solway, Sundström and the rest

The method

Disposables are tested qualitatively — the taste-test method — which is the recognised approach for filtering facepieces under HSE INDG479. A hood goes over the head, a bitter or sweet solution is nebulised into it, and the wearer works through seven one-minute exercises. Taste it at any point and the mask has leaked. The qualitative fit testing page walks through the whole procedure in detail.

The three things that fail an FFP3 test

1. Stubble. By some distance the most common cause. Clean shaven in the region of the face seal means clean shaven that morning, not "trimmed". A day's growth is enough to break the seal.
2. Poor donning. Straps in the wrong position, the nose clip not moulded properly, the bottom strap under the ears instead of at the nape. Most of the value of the appointment is fixing this — a lot of people who fail their first attempt pass comfortably once shown the technique.
3. Wrong mask for that face. Sometimes a model simply does not suit someone's face shape. Where you have an alternative size or model on site we will re-test on the same visit at no extra cost.

How a typical site visit runs

We come to you, anywhere in London and Surrey, and work through your team back to back. Around 20 minutes each, so six people is a couple of hours and there is no need to send anyone off site or lose a day's production. Certificates are emailed the same day as PDFs, one per person, ready for the file.

The report names the wearer, the mask make, model and size, the method used, the result and the date — which is what a principal contractor or an HSE inspector will ask to see.

Who books this

Construction and refurb contractors, demolition and soft strip crews, joinery and stone workshops cutting or dry-sweeping silica, spray shops, insulation and loft teams, facilities and maintenance contractors, dental practices, laboratories and pharmaceutical sites, and any employer who has just been asked for fit test records they do not have.