BC Food & Beverage launched the Protecting Our People program, which provides access to PPE for the food & beverage production, seafood and agriculture sectors located in BC through an online ordering form.

• User Guide
• Order Form

If you have questions about ordering, please contact BC Food & Beverage at bcfb@evolvewithus.ca or at 604-940-2228 Ext 223.

Employers are required to provide workers with appropriate respirators wherever workers are exposed to hazardous substances in the air.  This includes gases and vapours, dusts, fibres, mists, fumes and bioaerosols.

Different hazards require different types of respirators, so it is important to choose the right respirator for the breathing hazards in your workplace.  Some respirators must also be fitted with the correct filter or cartridge in order to be effective.

Before a worker may use a respirator, they must be fit tested to ensure contaminated air cannot leak into the respirator and be inhaled.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, AgSafe is not conducting fit testing services.  However, some companies in British Columbia are still offering fit testing service for a fee.

If an employer wishes to conduct fit tests for their own employees, they must have an approved fit testing kit available from safety equipment suppliers and be trained on how to use the kit and conduct the test.

Basic instructions on fit testing is available by watching the 3M YouTube videos below.  For more information contact your AgSafe advisor or consultant.

LINKS:

• WorkSafeBC Respiratory Protection information
• 3M Respirator Fit Kit Testing - Video
• Instructions for Disposable Respirators - Video
• WorkSafeBC Fit Testing Your Respirator Documents
• Breath Safer – WorkSafeBC book

RESPIRATOR FIT TESTING PROVIDERS

• Respirator Train the Fit Tester (TFT) training providers:
  • 3M Canada
  • The Universal Group
  • Dynamic Rescue
  • Orca Safety: Nanaimo
  • Canada Safety
  • Valhalla Safety: Nelson
• Respirator Fit Test providers: QUALITATIVE
  • Hazmasters
  • Freebird Safety Services
  • Irwin Safety (Throughout BC)
  • OK Audio Lab (Okanagan)
  • OHandS Canada (Langley and Kamloops)
  • Levitt Safety
  • Nutech Safety (Kamloops and Kelowna)
  • First aid Kelowna
  • Vancouver First Aid
  • Link to Life First-Aid (Vancouver)
  • ABC First-Aid (Nanaimo)
  • Jade First Aid (Smithers)
  • Interior Workplace Compliance Testing
  • BC Fit Testing
  • Lotus Environmental BC
  • Keltech Safety
• Respirator Fit Test providers: QUANTITATIVE
  • Pacific Rim Safety
  • Levitt Safety