Protection Certification

No agency in the U.S. tests and certifies respirators for use by the general public. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tests and certifies respirators for use by workers to protect against workplace hazards.

Respirators certified by NIOSH will say “NIOSH Approved” and may have a certification number. However, NIOSH only certifies respirators against specific hazards. Just because a respirator is certified does not mean it will protect against ALL hazards.

NIOSH-certified respirators are supplied with Approval Labels that identify the hazards that the respirator is approved to protect against. If you are buying a respirator, you should check the Approval Label to be sure that it has been certified against the hazards you want protection against.

IMPORTANT! All masks for respiratory protection should be approved by the National Institute for Occupational safety and Health (NIOSH) and will say so on their boxes.

• Facial hair usually reduces the effectiveness of respiratory masks.
• Disposable surgical respiratory masks (non-filtered fiber masks) are only effective for protection against large particles, such as dust.
• N95 disposable respiratory masks cost about $5 each.
• N100 disposable respiratory masks are 5% more effective than N95s and cost about $5 each.
• N100 elastomeric masks are superior to both. They can be found at hardware stores for about $20; filters cost about $5 each.
• The only kinds of respiratory masks that are effective against chemical agents are military-issued gas masks, which are not NIOSH rated because they restrict normal breathing and can harm someone who’s not trained in their use.

• WARNING! The incorrect use of gas masks can may be fatal.