This awareness-level qualification introduces learners to:

• The hazards presented by airborne contaminants, including dusts, fumes, gases and vapours
• The legal framework, including COSHH 2002 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• The routes of exposure and the health effects of respiratory hazards
• The hierarchy of control and the place of respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
• The types of RPE, including tight-fitting and loose-fitting devices
• The importance of selecting adequate and suitable RPE
• Face-fit testing and the significance of a good facial seal
• The correct use, storage and maintenance of RPE
• User training, supervision and maximum wear times

• Occupational lung disease kills far more people than workplace accidents. Exposure to dust, fume and fibres causes thousands of deaths annually in Great Britain, and the exposures responsible occurred decades earlier.
• RPE fails silently. Unlike a guard or a harness, a respirator that is not working gives the wearer no indication at all which is precisely why selection, fit and maintenance matter so much.
• Facial hair defeats tight-fitting RPE. Even a day’s stubble along the seal compromises protection, and no amount of tightening or checking compensates for it.
• A fit check is not a fit test. The two are routinely confused, including by employers, and only one of them is a legal expectation carried out by a competent tester.
• Filters do not make air. In oxygen-deficient atmospheres, filtering RPE offers no protection and its use has caused fatalities in confined spaces.
• RPE is the last resort, not the first. Where masks are issued in place of ventilation or substitution, the control strategy has already failed regardless of how good the RPE is.

• Foundation-level (Level 1) qualification for RPE wearers, supervisors and issuers
• Minimum of 4 hours’ instructional contact time, designed for flexible short-course delivery
• Delivered entirely online through the Britsafe learning management system (LMS) no physical classroom attendance is required
• Course materials are provided digitally (soft copy) via the LMS
• Assessed via an online examination through the Britsafe Examination Management System (EMS), with a minimum pass mark of 70%
• Certification issued with an anti-counterfeit hologram security seal, available both as a physical copy and as a soft (digital) copy
• Positions RPE correctly at the bottom of the COSHH hierarchy of control
• Addresses the two most common causes of RPE failure: poor fit and incorrect selection
• Explains clearly why filtering RPE is unsuitable for oxygen-deficient atmospheres
• Relevant across construction, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and the trades
• Available fully online to learners in the UK and internationally

Knowledge developed:

• Respiratory hazards and the diseases they cause
• The COSHH hierarchy of control and the proper position of RPE within it
• RPE types, filter classification and assigned protection factors
• Fit testing requirements and the factors that compromise face seal
• Maintenance, storage, record keeping and health surveillance expectations

Skills developed:

• Recognising when RPE is being used to substitute for missing engineering controls
• Checking that the RPE issued matches the actual contaminant and exposure level
• Carrying out a pre-use inspection and wearer seal check correctly
• Identifying damaged, contaminated or out-of-date equipment and filters
• Donning, doffing, cleaning and storing RPE without contaminating it or oneself
• Raising concerns about unsuitable RPE, missing fit tests or inadequate controls

This Award is designed for anyone who wears, issues or oversees respiratory protective equipment, including:

• Construction operatives, groundworkers and demolition personnel
• Fabricators, welders and metalworkers
• Joiners, carpenters and woodworking machinists
• Painters, sprayers and coatings applicators
• Manufacturing and process operatives
• Laboratory, pharmaceutical and chemical handling personnel
• Agricultural and grain handling workers
• Healthcare and care staff using respiratory protection
• Cleaning, waste and recycling operatives
• Supervisors and site managers who issue RPE
• Storekeepers and procurement staff who select and purchase RPE
• Health and safety advisers and coordinators

No prior qualification is required this Award is intended as an accessible entry point into the subject.

There are no formal academic prerequisites for this Level 1 Award. It is open to learners aged 16 and above with a reasonable standard of spoken and written English, sufficient to engage with course materials and complete the assessment. No prior experience of respiratory protection is assumed.

Course content is structured around progressive learning blocks covering the respiratory system and occupational lung disease; categories of airborne hazard; the legal framework and the COSHH hierarchy of control; types of RPE and their applications; tight-fitting versus loose-fitting equipment; filters, classification and colour coding; assigned protection factors and selection; oxygen-deficient atmospheres and breathing apparatus; face fit testing and face seal factors; pre-use checks, donning and doffing; cleaning, maintenance, storage and records; and health surveillance, supervision and reporting.

Assessment is conducted through an online examination via the Britsafe Examination Management System (EMS). Learners must achieve a minimum score of 70% to pass. On successful completion, learners receive a certificate, available both as a physical copy and as a soft (digital) copy. Results and certificates are typically issued promptly following successful completion.

While this Level 1 Award is a foundation qualification rather than a competence or management credential, it provides relevant grounding for roles including:

• Construction, demolition and refurbishment operative
• Welder, fabricator or metalworker
• Woodworking machinist or joinery operative
• Spray painter or coatings applicator
• Process, chemical or laboratory operative
• Stores, procurement or PPE issuing personnel
• Site supervisor with responsibility for RPE provision
• A stepping stone toward occupational hygiene, COSHH assessment and safety adviser roles

Construction, demolition and refurbishment

• Metal fabrication, welding and engineering
• Woodworking, joinery and furniture manufacture
• Manufacturing and process industries
• Chemicals, pharmaceuticals and laboratories
• Paint, coatings and surface treatment
• Agriculture, grain handling and animal feed
• Quarrying, mining and stone processing
• Waste management, recycling and cleaning services
• Healthcare and social care
• Asbestos removal and licensed contractors

• Supports compliance with COSHH 2002 and associated regulations relating to control of exposure
• Reinforces the hierarchy of control, reducing reliance on RPE where engineering controls are the appropriate answer
• Improves the effectiveness of existing RPE by addressing selection, fit and maintenance failures
• Supports fit testing programmes by ensuring wearers understand why testing and clean shaving are required
• Reduces the risk of long-latency occupational disease claims, which frequently arise decades after exposure
• Provides documented evidence of RPE training for inspection, audit and health surveillance purposes
• Improves the quality of RPE purchasing decisions by informing storekeepers and procurement staff

• A recognised, portable credential relevant across construction, industry and healthcare
• Knowledge that protects the learner’s own lungs over a working lifetime
• A flexible short-course format (minimum 4 hours) that fits around site and shift patterns
• Confidence to question RPE that is unsuitable, unfitted or being used in place of proper controls
• A foundation for progression into COSHH, occupational hygiene and safety adviser routes

Learners can apply this qualification directly to:

• Checking that the RPE issued is appropriate for the actual contaminant and exposure
• Confirming a valid face fit test exists for the specific make and model being worn
• Remaining clean shaven where tight-fitting RPE is required
• Carrying out a pre-use inspection and wearer seal check every time
• Recognising when filtering RPE is inappropriate and breathing apparatus is required
• Replacing filters at the correct intervals and recognising expired or contaminated ones
• Cleaning and storing reusable RPE correctly rather than leaving it in a dusty vehicle or toolbox
• Removing RPE safely to avoid self-contamination
• Raising concerns where masks appear to be substituting for extraction or ventilation

This Award is best positioned as an awareness foundation within a wider occupational health pathway. Learners often progress into:

• Face fit testing operator training, including accredited fit tester schemes
• COSHH assessment qualifications at Level 2 and Level 3
• Local exhaust ventilation awareness and LEV examination training
• Asbestos awareness and licensed asbestos work training
• Confined space entry and breathing apparatus training
• Occupational hygiene fundamentals
• Level 2 and Level 3 occupational health and safety qualifications

• Accredited face fit tester training and competence schemes
• Level 3 COSHH assessment and control qualifications
• Occupational hygiene and exposure monitoring development routes
• Health surveillance coordination roles
• Professional membership pathways with relevant occupational hygiene and safety bodies

Britsafe Qualifications UK Limited delivers this qualification fully online, making it accessible to learners across the UK and internationally without the need to attend a physical training centre. Respiratory hazards and the physiology of exposure are identical everywhere, and RPE classification and filter colour coding follow international standards, meaning the technical content transfers directly across borders. Assigned protection factors and exposure limits are set nationally and differ between jurisdictions, so learners working outside Great Britain should confirm the values applicable in their own country.

1. What does this qualification cover?
It covers respiratory hazards and protection: occupational lung disease, categories of airborne hazard, the COSHH hierarchy of control, types of RPE, filters and colour coding, assigned protection factors, oxygen-deficient atmospheres, face fit testing, pre-use checks, maintenance, storage and health surveillance.

2. Does this course include face fit testing?
No. Face fit testing is a practical, in-person procedure carried out by a competent tester on the specific make, model and size of RPE the individual will wear. It cannot be delivered, simulated or verified online. This Award explains what fit testing is, why it is required and when retesting is needed, and it should be accompanied by an actual fit test arranged by the employer.

3. What is the difference between a fit test and a fit check?
A fit test is a formal assessment of whether a particular respirator seals adequately on a particular person’s face, carried out by a competent tester using qualitative or quantitative methods. A fit check, sometimes called a seal check, is the quick check the wearer performs themselves each time they put the RPE on. The check confirms it has been donned properly; it does not establish that the model fits that face. The two are frequently confused and are not interchangeable.

4. Can I wear tight-fitting RPE with a beard?
No. Facial hair crossing the sealing surface prevents an adequate seal, and this cannot be resolved by tightening straps or performing a seal check. Where a wearer cannot or does not wish to be clean shaven, loose-fitting alternatives such as powered hoods and helmets should be considered, as these do not rely on a face seal.

5. Will a dust mask protect me in a confined space?
No, and this misunderstanding has killed people. Filtering RPE removes contaminants from the air passing through it; it does not supply oxygen. In an oxygen-deficient atmosphere it offers no protection at all. Confined spaces and similar environments require breathing apparatus and a full set of controls under the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997.

6. Why is RPE described as a last resort?
Because COSHH requires exposure to be prevented or adequately controlled, and the hierarchy of control places elimination, substitution and engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation above personal protection. RPE protects only the wearer, only if selected correctly, only if it fits, and only while it is worn properly. Extraction protects everyone in the area, continuously.

7. Does the title mean this is a management qualification?
No. The title refers to the management of respiratory protection as a subject selection, fit, maintenance and records rather than to management as a role. This is a Level 1 awareness Award and does not make anyone a competent person for COSHH assessment, RPE programme management or fit testing.

8. How do I know which filter to use?
Filter selection depends on the contaminant, and filters are classified and colour coded accordingly, with particulate filters graded by efficiency. The course explains the classification system so wearers can recognise obvious mismatches, but selection for a specific task should follow the employer’s COSHH assessment.

9. Who is this qualification aimed at?
RPE wearers across construction, manufacturing, woodworking, welding, chemicals, agriculture and healthcare, along with supervisors, storekeepers and procurement staff who issue or purchase RPE.

10. Are there any entry requirements?
No formal prerequisites are required. Learners should have a reasonable standard of English and be aged 16 or above.

11. How long does the course take to complete?
The qualification has a minimum instructional contact time of 4 hours, making it a compact, focused course suitable for induction-level delivery.

12. How is the qualification assessed?
Through an online examination via the Britsafe Examination Management System, with a minimum pass mark of 70%.

13. Does it cover asbestos work?
Only in outline. Asbestos has its own regulatory regime under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, with specific RPE requirements and separate mandatory training depending on the type of work. Anyone who may disturb asbestos requires asbestos-specific training in addition to this qualification.

14. What materials are provided with the course?
Learners receive digital (soft copy) course materials via the Britsafe learning management system. The course is delivered entirely online; there is no physical classroom attendance or physical course material.

15. What happens after I pass the exam?
Successful learners receive a certificate from Britsafe Qualifications UK Limited, featuring an anti-counterfeit hologram seal for authenticity. The certificate is available both as a physical copy and as a soft (digital) copy.

16. Is this qualification recognised internationally?
Yes. Britsafe Qualifications UK Limited delivers this qualification fully online to learners across the UK and internationally, though exposure limits and protection factor values are set nationally and should be checked locally.

17. Can this qualification lead to further study?
Yes. It provides a foundation for COSHH assessment qualifications, LEV training, confined space and breathing apparatus training, accredited fit tester routes and occupational hygiene study.