Respirator Trusted-Source Information
Section 2: Use of NIOSH-Approved Respirators
Information sources on how to implement the appropriate use of respirators in the workplace. This section also contains a listing of recently revoked approvals as well as related User Notices.
ADVISORY: Watch for respirators misrepresented as NIOSH-approved! See the misrepresentation section.
Respirator Fit Testing
Respirator Safety
OSHA Respirator Safety Videoexternal icon (click on link and scroll down page to training)
Respirator Safety. Donning (Putting on) and Doffing (Taking off) and User Seal Checks. U.S. Department of Labor Video, (2009, December 16). This video is available in English and Spanish and is available for downloading.
OSHA Voluntary Use of Respirators videoexternal icon
OSHA Respiratory Protection Training Requirements videoexternal icon
Medical Evaluations for Workers Who Use Respirators videoexternal icon
Respirator User Notices
Buyer Beware
Respirator Awareness: Your Health May Depend On It
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2013-138 (June 2013) Español
One of the occupational hazards in the healthcare setting is the airborne transmission of certain infectious diseases. The potential of exposure is not limited to physicians, nurses, and support personnel in direct patient care. It extends to those delivering food, cleaning patient rooms, and performing maintenance. Anyone working in areas with patients infected with airborne-transmissible diseases is potentially at risk.
OSHA Counterfeit and Altered Respirators: The Importance of NIOSH Certification videoexternal icon
Misrepresentation of NIOSH Approval
There have been reports of products using promotional materials that infer or cite NIOSH approval. Some of these products may look very similar to NIOSH-approved respirators. One example is a product that has taken N95 respirators and added decorative fabric for fashionable effectsexternal icon, therefore voiding the approval (http://www.flufashion.netexternal icon). Another example is a surgical mask being advertised as a NIOSH-approved N95 respirator. NIOSH purchased the product, tested it and found it to have over 80% leakage. Several instances of packaging that falsely uses terms like “NIOSH-approved”, and “NIOSH N95” have been brought to our attention. Though it is often difficult to be able to tell from first glance if a respirator is truly NIOSH-certified, the most reliable marking to look for is the NIOSH TC# printed both on the box as well as the product itself (TC# xxx-xxxx). The product can be verified by checking the TC number on the NIOSH website.
Example of typical markings on filtering facepiece respirators.
Counterfeit Respirators
When NIOSH becomes aware of counterfeit respirators or those misrepresenting NIOSH approval on the market, we will post them to alert users, purchasers, and manufacturers. View Counterfeit Respirators / Misrepresentations.
Always verify that the brand of respirator is listed either in NIOSH’s list of manufacturers or as a private label company.
The NIOSH publication 2013-138 “Respirator Awareness: Your Health May Depend on It” provides additional information to look for when verifying your respirator is truly NIOSH-approved.
Rescinded Respirator Approvals
Periodically, respirator approvals are rescinded either at the request of the approval holder, or revoked by NIOSH for cause. Depending upon the reason for the rescission, a respirator User Notice may be issued. With all rescissions, the approval number is no longer listed in the Certified Equipment List (CEL), or on any of the NIOSH web pages that list approved respirators. View user notices issued prior to 2011.
The validity of a respirator approval should be verified on NIOSH Certified Equipment List.