NIOSH warns users about uncertified N95s
September 1, 2006 2 minutes read
NIOSH warns users about uncertified N95s
New products — and claims — flood market
A growing demand for N95 filtering facepiece respirators has created a booming market — and concerns about the marketing claims of new products.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has become more vigilant about checking the status of respirators marketed as NIOSH-certified, says Heinz W. Ahlers, JD, MS, chief of the technology evaluation branch at NIOSH's National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh.
"Right now, we are certifying a lot of N95 respirators. People are trying to get ready for avian influenza," says Ahlers. But amid that onslaught of new products, some do not live up to their claims, he adds.
NIOSH issued a user notice to alert consumers that the Nano Guard respirator, marketed by 2H Distributors incorrectly displayed a NIOSH logo indicating it was certified by the agency. It is not.
On its web site, 2H Distributors asserts that the NanoMask uses a new technology and is "the only mask proven to be 99.9999% effective against avian flu and other viruses and bacteria."
The manufacturer, Emergency Filtration, intends to apply for NIOSH certification "in the near future," according to its web site. "It was important to validate the nanoparticle-enhanced filter against bacterial and viral contaminates and NIOSH was not able to provide this biological validation," it stated.
NIOSH also revoked the certificate of approval for two respirators sold by Crews Inc., of Memphis, which carried the model numbers RPN951 and RPN952 and the approval codes TC-84A-4172 and TC-84A-4173. The company provided misleading information about the respirators, which are manufactured in China by a company that does produce masks under NIOSH certification, Ahlers says.
Ahlers' advice to hospitals: Make sure your N95s are NIOSH-certified, and buy more than one model from more than one manufacturer to offer options that fit your population.
NIOSH certification tests the filtering capabilities of the respirator. NIOSH is developing a Total Inward Leakage test to determine the fit capabilities of N95s. Manufacturers then will be required to meet minimum criteria for fit, says Ahlers.
A growing demand for N95 filtering facepiece respirators has created a booming market -- and concerns about the marketing claims of new products.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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