You can buy the right respirator and still fail an inspection. For a 3M™ Speedglas™ G5-01VC with an Adflo™ powered-air system, suitability is only half the legal duty — you also have to show it was chosen, checked and maintained correctly. This is the records-and-evidence side nobody hands you with the kit.
Fillable PDF · selection, daily airflow check, service & training logs · hosted on thefacemaskstore.co.uk
A loose-fitting powered headtop like the Adflo does not need a face-fit test — it works with beards and stubble, with no per-person test to schedule. That is a genuine saving over tight-fitting masks. It is also where most shops trip up: dropping the fit test does not drop the rest of the respiratory programme.
With powered air you still owe a documented selection, training, supervision, maintenance to the manufacturer's instructions with records, and a pre-use check before every use. Powered air simply swaps the fit-test regime for an airflow-check-and-maintenance regime — lighter, but only if you actually run it and write it down. A pre-use check nobody records did not happen.
Three roles, one evidence trail. The gaps are usually where two people each assumed the other had it. Split it cleanly and half the battle is won.
| Evidence | Procurement | HSE / SHEQ manager | Welding coordinator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection & suitability record (why this RPE for this fume) | Supports with spec | Owns | Reviews for the welding scope |
| Daily pre-use check log (Adflo airflow check) | — | Owns the system | Assures it happens on the shop floor |
| Maintenance & service records (consumables, batteries) | Owns the supply | Owns the schedule | Notes against the work |
| Genuine-parts traceability | Owns | Verifies | — |
| Training & instruction records | — | Owns | Confirms competence to weld safely |
| Welding quality / FPC file (EN 1090 / ISO 3834) | — | Feeds in | Owns |
Each row in the responsibility map becomes a record you can hand over. The pack gives the three roles a shared shape to fill in, instead of three people each keeping half a record.
The four-step "why this respirator for this fume" sheet: the hazard, the control hierarchy (LEV first), the protection level (APF), and the reason for powered air. Makes "suitable" a documented decision, not an opinion.
Date · unit ID · airflow pass/fail · issues reported. A print-ready sheet for the welding bay. Log against a unique unit ID so you can show an inspector a continuous history for a specific blower.
Scheduled pre-filter, particle filter, spark arrestor, battery and breathing-tube checks — with parts used and a named responsible person. Turns maintenance into a traceable evidence chain, kept ≥5 years (COSHH).
Wearer · date · topics (donning, the airflow check, consumables, and the limits) · trainer. Including the confined-space limit, recorded as a limit.
The complete role-by-role guide and the downloadable pack live on the main store. Read the guide, then download the templates and make them your own.
