Category: Respirators

The NIOSH Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge

Millions of workers across the United States rely on tight-fitting respirators to keep them safe on the job. These workers have a wide variability in facial features and dimensions, making it challenging to identify specific respirator models and sizes that will provide a proper fit. If a respirator does not properly fit, forming a tight Read More >

Posted on by Justin Wehring, MHA; Michael Bergman, MS; Brooke Vollmer, BS; Adam Smith, PhD ; Presley Oliphant; Maryann D’Alessandro, PhD 

Beards and Respirators: Navigating No Shave November Safely

Introduction No Shave November is a great opportunity to grow out your beard for a good cause. But if you rely on a tight-fitting respirator for work, that extra facial hair could pose a safety concern. Respirators protect workers from harmful particles, but their effectiveness depends on forming a tight seal against your skin. So, Read More >

Posted on by Aris Copeland and Jonisha Pollard, MS, CPE1 Comment

Tips for Managing Personal Protective Equipment in Your Stockpile: Respirator Selection and Purchase

Happy Respiratory Protection Week 2024! Another year provides another opportunity to highlight resources to support informed workplace respiratory protection practices. NIOSH has been at the forefront of this effort for decades, testing and approving respirators used in U.S. occupational settings while also striving to provide the science necessary to inform complex respiratory protection decisions. Respiratory Read More >

Posted on by Susan Moore, PhD; Lee Greenawald, PhD; Aris Copeland; Jackie Cichowicz; Frank Page

Providing Clarity Regarding the Regulation of Respirators Used in Health Care Settings

  A Discussion Paper, Streamlining Regulatory Oversight of Respirators Used in Health Care Settings will Improve Worker Protection, was recently published in the National Academy of Medicine’s NAM Perspectives journal by respiratory experts outside of the federal government. This paper highlights continued confusion amongst interested parties including health care organizations and manufacturers seeking approval regarding Read More >

Posted on by Christopher Coffey, PhD; Maryann D’Alessandro, PhD; John Howard, MD; Meghan Kiederer, BA; and Susan Moore, PhD12 Comments

Finding the Right Fit—Is Your Respirator “The One”?

Finding the right fit is one of the most important parts of a relationship. You don’t just grab any old fish from the sea that swims by and hope for the best. First, it’s necessary to test the waters and ensure you’re simpatico before settling on a partner. It’s Valentine’s Day, and yes, this advice Read More >

Posted on by Aris Copeland, Meghan Kiederer, Joseph Schall, and Megan Casey1 Comment

Respiratory Protection Week 2023: Filling in the Gaps

We’re back for another Respiratory Protection Week! This year we’re shining some light on our Respirator Approval Program’s efforts to fill in gaps related to respiratory protection and answering some of your remaining questions about NIOSH Approved® respirators. As you may know, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal institute Read More >

Posted on by Meghan Kiederer and Jeff Peterson

Protecting Workers and the Public from Wildfire Smoke

  The Canadian wildfires highlight the hazard of wildfire smoke, an issue faced annually by many communities across the United States. In this blog, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and National Center for Environmental Health teamed up with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide Read More >

Posted on by Maryann M. D’Alessandro, PhD; Meghan Kiederer, BA; Joseph Schall, MA; Maria Mirabelli, PhD, MPH; Susan Stone, MS; CAPT Lisa Delaney, MS, CIH; CAPT Christa Hale, DVM, MPH, DACVPM (Epi); Lew Radonovich, MD4 Comments

The Evolution of Elastomeric Half-Mask Respirators and Exhalation Valves

Interest in using elastomeric half-mask respirators (EHMRs) as an alternative to N95®* filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) in healthcare settings is growing because of their ability to be cleaned, disinfected, and reused. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high demand for N95 FFRs caused national supply shortages, leading organizations to rely on other Read More >

Posted on by Bailey Shaw, DO(c); Adam Hornbeck, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FNP-C; Susan M. Moore, PhD; and Marisa Fries, BS2 Comments

Respiratory Protection Week 2022: Staying Committed to Proper Respiratory Protection Practices

Happy Respiratory Protection Week! Our commitment to respiratory protection runs deep for us here at NIOSH. In fact, we’ve been dedicating an entire day or week to promoting proper respiratory protection practices since 2012. Our goal since the beginning has always been to highlight the importance of respiratory protection in the workplace and provide resources Read More >

Posted on by Marisa Fries and Meghan Kiederer2 Comments

Education and Training Concerning Masks and Respirators for Construction Workers

Various types of masks and respirators are receiving increased attention in many workplaces, including on construction sites. Use of masks is part of a multi-layered prevention strategy for COVID-19, and many workplaces require or encourage employees to wear them. Masks are designed to cover a person’s mouth and nose to help contain large droplets or Read More >

Posted on by Aurora B. Le, PhD, MPH, CSP, CPH; Meghan Kiederer, BA; Adam K. Smith, PhD; Douglas Trout, MD, MHS; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP

N95 Love – Staying True to the NIOSH Approval

Over the years, we’ve made use of the Valentine’s Day observance to offer a lot of respirator relationship advice. We’ve talked about the importance of high standards, compatibility, when to break up, and when to put more effort into maintaining your relationship. Dear Abby has nothing on us when it comes to knowing how to Read More >

Posted on by Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA, and Meghan Kiederer2 Comments

Release of National Academies Consensus Study Report on Protecting Workers and the Public From Inhalation Hazards

On February 10,2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published a Consensus Study Report titled, Frameworks for Protecting Workers and the Public from Inhalation Hazards. Federal partners, NIOSH, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of State, as well as the CDC Foundation, commissioned this report to address the evolving respiratory protection Read More >

Posted on by Maryann M. D’Alessandro, PhD; Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA; and Jessica Biser, MPH1 Comment

Who Does What? The Roles of NIOSH, OSHA, and the FDA in Respiratory Protection in the Workplace

  Over the years, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has built complex partnerships with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address the specific respiratory protection needs of workers in different industries. Each of these federal organizations is dedicated to ensuring that workers Read More >

Posted on by Maryann M. D’Alessandro, PhD; Suzanne B. Schwartz, MD, MBA; Andrew Levinson, MPH; and Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA2 Comments

Respiratory Protection Week 2021 Resources and Review

It’s Respiratory Protection Week! Every year we are happy to acknowledge this observance as a time for a little R&R. No – we aren’t implying that you should take a nap. By R&R we mean new resources and review of all NIOSH respiratory protection information that has become available since last September. Over the course Read More >

Posted on by Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA

Advancements in Elastomeric Respirator Technology for Use as Source Control

Respirator design is constantly improving and evolving to meet new challenges. Manufacturers have recently developed innovative NIOSH-approved elastomeric half mask respirator (EHMR) designs that both protect the wearer as well as provide adequate source control – protecting others by filtering the wearer’s exhaled air that may contain harmful viruses or bacteria. EHMRs are being used more Read More >

Posted on by Rohan Fernando, M.S; Jeffrey Peterson; and Lee Portnoff, M.S11 Comments

Relationship Advice on Valentine’s Day: Quality Assurance—In a Respirator, That Is

  On this Valentine’s Day, what lessons can respirator manufacturers learn from Liz Taylor, Larry King, Lana Turner, and Mickey Rooney? Why, the importance of quality assurance, of course. All of these celebs were married eight times—for Liz and Larry, they actually tied the knot twice with the same person—but their repeated unluckiness in love Read More >

Posted on by Joseph Schall, MA; Rhonda Sheets; and Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA2 Comments

Overview of the ASTM F3407 Standard Test Method for Respirator Fit Capability

The Fundamental Importance of Fit One of the most important criteria for any filtering facepiece air-purifying respirator to be effective is that a good seal is formed between the respirator’s facepiece and the wearer’s skin. The ability to achieve this seal is called the respirator’s fitting characteristic. In 1995, when NIOSH put Title 42 Code Read More >

Posted on by Christopher Coffey, PhD; Lisa Brosseau, ScD, CIH; M. E. Bonnie Rogers, DrPH; and Jonathan Szalajda, MS9 Comments

Supplementing the Supply of N95s with Reusable Elastomeric Half Mask Respirators

As we celebrate our annual Respiratory Protection Week Observance this year, we at NIOSH want to show our appreciation to all the workers who use respiratory protection and the manufacturers who develop these products to keep our nation’s workers safe. Whether your role is to heal, protect, create, or construct, we rely on your skills Read More >

Posted on by Lee Greenawald,PhD; Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA and Maryann M. D’Alessandro, PhD7 Comments

Respiratory Protection vs. Source Control – What’s the difference?

In an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, CDC recommends that adults and children two years and older wear a mask, especially when social distancing is not possible or feasible[1]. Cloth masks and medical masks used in healthcare settings (such as surgical or procedure masks) are important tools in the fight against the spread of COVID-19, Read More >

Posted on by Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA; LCDR Megan Casey, RN, BSN, MPH; and Maryann M. D’Alessandro, PhD26 Comments

A Guide to Respirators Used for Dust in Construction

Construction dust can cause serious damage to workers’ health and life-threatening diseases. Construction workers can be exposed to many types of dust, such as silica, wood, and lead dust. Workplace exposure to small particles of silica dust, also known as respirable crystalline silica, can lead to serious diseases, including silicosis, a progressive lung disease marked Read More >

Posted on by CAPT Alan Echt, DrPH, CIH; Christopher Coffey, Ph.D; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; Jeanette Novakovich, PhD; CDR Elizabeth Garza, MPH, CPH; Scott Breloff, PhD; Christina Socias-Morales, DrPH15 Comments