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The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has decided against a streamlined Bitrex protocol that would have made fit-testing faster.

OSHA: No abbreviated Bitrex fit-test

October 1, 2009

OSHA: No abbreviated Bitrex fit-test

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has decided against a streamlined Bitrex protocol that would have made fit-testing faster. "After thoroughly reviewing the comments and other information available in the record for the proposed rulemaking, OSHA decided that the abbreviated Bitrex qualitative fit test is not sufficiently accurate to include among the qualitative fit tests listed in ... its Respiratory Protection Standard," OSHA stated in a Federal Register notice [74 Fed Reg 30,250-30,256 (June 25, 2009)].

OSHA noted a number of concerns about the protocol from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, including whether the test sensitivity was too low.