What procedures must be followed to perform a “user seal check?”

The “user seal check” procedures in Appendix B-1, or equally effective procedures recommended by the respirator manufacturer, must be used. This means that respirator manufacturers’ recommended procedures may be used for user seal checking if the employer demonstrates that the manufacturer’s procedures are as effective as those in Appendix B-1 of the standard. The “equally effective” phrase ensures that the procedures used have been demonstrated to be effective in identifying respirators that do not seal properly when donned or adjusted.

The user seal check cannot be performed on some tight-fitting respirators by employees with small hands who cannot block off the valves. Some manufacturers make a fit check cup that can be used to perform a user seal check with filtering facepiece respirators.