Fit mask testing staff

[Sana Warya]

I want to clarify the current requirements regarding fit mask testing for Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) staff.

Whether fit mask testing is mandatory, and could you please share any relevant guidance or resources?

Thank you

[Penelope Radalj]

Fit testing is not a legal requirement., below is the Victorian state guidance for health services.
Fit testing should be repeated at appropriate intervals (annually and no longer than 18 months), particularly for healthcare workers, including students and volunteers, identified to be working in high-risk areas, or who are required to routinely enter high risk areas, or be otherwise considered priority staff, and in line with the health services risk prioritisation framework. For healthcare workers in low-risk areas, annual fit testing may not be necessary but fit testing frequency should not exceed more than two years. However, the ability of each health service to implement repeat fit-testing annually for all healthcare workers required to wear RPE will be dependent on the size of the organisation, the risk profile of their healthcare workers and the fit testing resources available.
Health service organisations may choose to implement more rigorous re-testing policies for their HCWs than what is recommended within this guideline.
Ref: Victorian Respiratory Protection Program.

There is no clear direction in the Australian Guidelines for Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare, they defer to state requirements.

Then to add to the fun…Worksafe require staff to be fit tested if they are required to wear N95 masks.

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