RPE is a type of personal protective equipment (PPE) designed to protect the wearer from atmospheres deficient in oxygen, or against inhalation of contaminated or hazardous atmospheres including: dusts, fumes, smokes, mists, vapours, gases and micro-organisms.

The degree of protection to the wearer can vary depending on the fit of a specific make and model of respirator.
Respirators only work when air passes through the filter. Because air takes the path of least resistance, if the respirator doesn’t have a good fit or a good seal to the skin, the air will go around, rather than through the respirator and therefore lessen the protection.
Respirators also need to be compatible with other PPE usually worn.

There are two main types of respirators:

- Air-purifying respirators (filtering devices): protect the wearer by using a filter to purify air breathed in. The respirators can be reusable or disposable and either non-powered or powered; and

- Supplied-air respirators (breathing apparatus): protect the wearer by supplying clean breathing air from an independent source such as compressed air cylinder or an air compressor.

- Respirators and breathing apparatus (BA) are available in a range of styles.

- Tight-fitting reusable facepieces and half face filtering facepieces or disposable respirators (often called masks), rely on a good seal with the wearer’s face to provide expected protection 95% of the time therefore, fit is important because it involves seal, compatibility, comfort and stability.

* NOTE that surgical or patient care masks and nuisance masks do not protect the wearer from airborne contaminants such as small particles, aerosols, vapours or gases. These types of masks protect the wearer from large droplets of body fluids or blood only. These masks do not meet the requirements of AS/ NZS 1716:2012 and are not marked as compliant with the Standard. These masks are not able to be fit tested.

** NOTE that we provide a quantitative fit testing service only and do not perform fit testing on loose-fitting facepieces or hoods that do not seal to the wearer’s face.

To determine adequacy and suitability when selecting RPE, consideration is given to the following:
- respirator conformance to AS/NZS 1716:2012 Respiratory protective devices;
- contaminant factors;
- task factors;
- operator (wearer) factors (including medical evaluation); and
- RPE limitations.