Handing Out PPE Isn’t Enough. You Need the Right Selection and a Verified Fit
A comprehensive, global-standard personal protective equipment (PPE) solution tailored to foreign-invested companies and large workplaces
PPE Fit Testing — We establish hearing and respiratory protection programs that comply with global standards, and provide solutions for selecting chemical cartridges and predicting their service life.
Who it’s for · Foreign-invested companies and those with 300+ workers
Are You Facing These Challenges?
Even after providing expensive PPE, are you still struggling with occupational disease or findings from headquarters (HQ) audits?
Falling Short of Global Standards
We need to go beyond Korean legal requirements and set up fit testing and programs that meet strict global standards, such as those of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
No Clear Cartridge Change-Out Schedule
We issue gas masks (chemical cartridge respirators), but we have no scientific basis for when to change the cartridges for our workplace conditions.
No Systematic PPE Program
Noise, dust and chemical issues keep coming up, but beyond handing out PPE piecemeal, we have no master plan covering hearing conservation and respiratory protection as a whole.
What Sets EHS Friends Apart
This is not just outsourced testing. EHS Friends provides a turnkey solution covering everything from PPE selection and service life prediction to fit testing and follow-up programs.
Quantitative and Qualitative Fit Testing That Meets OSHA Standards
- Every face is different, so no single respirator can fit everyone.
- Quantitative fit testing (QNFT) with high-end, advanced particle-counting equipment (condensation nuclei counter, CNC) calculates an exact fit factor to verify a complete seal on full-facepiece and half-facepiece masks.
- Where needed, we also run qualitative fit testing (QLFT) with approved test agents such as saccharin and Bitrex to find the best respirator for each individual worker.
Cartridge Service Life Prediction Based on Chemical Exposure Characteristics
- We put an end to the dangerous practice of relying on what workers notice themselves, such as odor.
- We comprehensively analyze the conditions in your workplace, including the types of chemicals, exposure concentrations, and extremes of temperature and humidity, to select the best cartridges and set up a science-based cartridge change-out schedule.
Global-Level Hearing and Respiratory Protection Programs
- We build a Hearing Conservation Program and a Respiratory Protection Program that bring together exposure assessment, engineering controls, PPE selection, worker training and medical follow-up, meeting your global headquarters’ audit requirements.
What Our Consulting Includes
- STEP 1
Workplace Exposure Assessment and Optimal PPE Selection
- We assess processes that generate noise, dust and chemicals.
- We match workers with the best PPE, taking into account worker-related factors such as work intensity and whether they wear glasses.
- STEP 2
Individual Fit Testing
- We conduct fit testing when a respirator is first issued, when the model or size changes, when facial shape changes (for example, due to weight change), and regularly at least once a year.
- Tests are run under real-world conditions, with workers also wearing other PPE that can interfere with the respirator seal, such as safety glasses and hard hats.
- STEP 3
Cartridge Service Life Prediction and Management Criteria
- We calculate cartridge service life from data on the chemicals in use (properties and concentrations) and set a change-out schedule tailored to your site.
- STEP 4
Written PPE Program and Worker Training
- We train workers on how to perform the user seal check they must do themselves every time they put on a respirator.
- We document the program and the assessment results for reporting to headquarters and for Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) inspections.
Expected Benefits
Global Standards Achieved
Compliance with U.S. OSHA regulations and strict HQ guidelines secures top marks in global EHS audits.
Maximum Cost Efficiency
Accurate service life prediction and fit testing prevent careless waste of PPE and cartridges, so your PPE purchasing budget is spent efficiently.
Occupational Disease Prevented at the Source
Fully controlling the hazards that reach workers’ respiratory systems and ears reduces potential occupational injury risk and health damage to zero.
“Protective equipment that doesn’t fit is as good as none at all.”
Complete a global-level PPE management system with EHS Friends’ advanced fit testing equipment and expert know-how.
Global Standards and Advanced Technical Consulting
Top-level expert services for foreign-invested companies that must meet demanding global standards and for companies with high-risk processes.
Industrial Hygiene Expert Services
Top-level guidance and advice based on a global Industrial Hygiene (IH) Framework help you meet global standards and Korean regulations at the same time.
Work Environment Improvement Consulting
From ventilation system design and installation to ergonomic improvements, solutions for mechanical and electrical hazards, and Lockout/Tagout/Tryout (LOTOTO) systems, we solve the root problems on your site.