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Form of work
Salary Since October 2019, face Fit Testing for Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) has been mandatory under Health and Safety legislation (COSSH). Fit testing has been a critical element of the NHS Covid pandemic response under PHE guidance but has a much wider impact on staff and patient health and safety and wellbeing.
The main purpose of this post is to deliver quantitative and qualitative Fit Testing, issuing of Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPR or “Hoods” for short) , RPE maintenance, RPE advice and associated administration, as part of the Trust’s RPE resilience programme.
As part of the Trust Risk portfolio, this role will oversee management of the provision, development, and compliance of the Fit Testing service for Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) for Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.
To provide operational day to day management and delivery of a Fit Testing service for RPE including FFP3 masks to ensure an effective and efficient service for the Trust. The post holder will respond to service needs by ensuring that the workload is managed consistently and responsively to fluctuating needs with focussed attention on high-risk areas as required.
Reading sits on the river Thames and is served by great road and rail links to London, Oxford and Southampton. With excellent leisure and shopping facilities, and a thriving cultural scene, Reading is a wonderful place to live, work and play and provides excellent facilities for families, including some of the best state and private schools in the UK.
The CQC recently rated the care provided by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as Good.
The main purpose of this post is to deliver quantitative and qualitative Fit Testing, issuing of Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPR or “Hoods” for short) , RPE maintenance, RPE advice and associated administration, as part of the Trust’s RPE resilience programme.
As part of the Trust Risk portfolio, this role will oversee management of the provision, development, and compliance of the Fit Testing service for Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) for Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.
To provide operational day to day management and delivery of a Fit Testing service for RPE including FFP3 masks to ensure an effective and efficient service for the Trust. The post holder will respond to service needs by ensuring that the workload is managed consistently and responsively to fluctuating needs with focussed attention on high-risk areas as required.
The post holder will participate in the evaluation of face masks and Fit Testing equipment used within the Trust, providing constructive feedback about product suitability to ensure the trust complies with the health and safety policies, procedures and guidelines.
To maintain and audit the required records and the distribution of relevant information to ensure all relevant staff are tested biannually or more frequently as necessary and have access to correctly fit tested RPE. To use initiative in referring issues to other relevant parties as appropriate, ensuring confidentiality and security of information is always maintained.
While this role is predominantly based in Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust main site there will be a requirement to be able to travel to other Trust sites which are situated off site. Close collaboration with the Health & Safety (H&S) Team, Divisional Operations Directors, Heads of Nursing, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), facilities, procurement, and Trust managers will be essential to provide Board Assurance and compliance with PHE guidelines.
To support the Head of Risk and Risk, Health & Safety Officer to facilitate implementation of health and safety policies and feedback on the implementation at the health and safety committee
Key Responsibilities
Confirm members of staff are eligible for Fit Testing and undertake all necessary administration before fit test is carried out.
Conduct face fit tests on staff who are required to wear FFP3 masks, being clear on the face Fit Testing process and being able to describe this to staff
Ensure mask that is being fitted is donned correctly before conducting the test and directing the member of staff through the face fit exercises.
Where no Fit is achieved advising staff on alternatives and how to access them.
Provide staff with portable records following their successful face Fit Testing result, and where staff have failed, advise on alternative RPE and how to access them.
Competently issue to staff and thoroughly inspect all forms of RPE used by the Trust, in line with legal and manufacturers’ requirements.
Ensure Fit Testing results and RPE maintenance carried out are clearly and accurately recorded so that it can easily be transferred on to the Trust’s electronic compliance database.
Establish and maintain good relationships with managers and colleagues within the immediate team and wider organisation.
Provide staff and managers with competent advice on matters pertaining to RPE, including Standard Operating Procedures, donning and doffing, fit checking, usage, storage, cleaning, filter change, inspections, maintenance, when to review fit test etc.
Communicate with a wide range of staff, recognising that there may be a requirement to utilise alternative methods of communication to overcome barriers to understanding.
Ensure communication of a sensitive nature declared during interaction with staff, is maintained
confidentially and only shared with consent in relation to safety, infection prevention and control purposes.
Observe personal duty of care in relation to testing equipment. Check and use equipment correctly
(before, during and after use) and ensure it is stored appropriately when not in use, in line with
manufactures guidance.
Immediately report any faults in equipment and ensure arrangements are made for the item to be
removed from use. Maintain stock control of equipment required to undertake role.
To be responsible for the safe use and storage of the PortaCount machines and overseeing their repair and service contract.
Carry out the decontamination of reusable RPE returned to central stock by staff who no longer need it (such as hoods) in line with infection, prevention and control requirements.
Prepared to work flexibly and at times mobile, across hospital locations and across different departments, and arrange to transport equipment to these locations depending on activities planned.
Should there be occasions when Fit Testing demand is lower; assist the Head of Risk with provision of flexible administrative and support to the teams within the Risk portfolio, including maintaining records and the distribution of relevant information, analysis of health, safety and risk data for trends and preparation of performance data
