A1: Research Roundup Respiratory Fit Protection

In the United States, filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as specified in 42 CFR Part 84. There is currently not a screening requirement to help ensure that the FFR is capable of forming a seal to potential wearers' faces.

Fit testing of individual wearers is required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Ideally during the respirator selection process, the employer should have access to several respirator models and time to identify a model or models that each member of the workforce population can pass a fit test on. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers found that they could not obtain an adequate supply of FFRs and had to use the limited models that were available to them. This resulted in the understanding that the NIOSH-approved FFR fit varies between models.

ASTM F3407 is a voluntary consensus standard designed to evaluate the ability of a respirator to fit a population of workers. 3M has evaluated filtering facepiece respirators in accordance with ASTM F3407, Standard Test Method for Respirator Fit Capability for Negative-Pressure Half-Facepiece Particulate Respirators. While some changes to the current standard are recommended, the respirator fit capability (RFC) provides a method for differentiating between poorly fitting and well-fitting half-facepiece particulate respirators. 

Since 2014, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has conducted extensive research on the use of elastomeric half mask respirators (EHMRs) in healthcare settings. These findings are informing the development of a comprehensive guide to support EHMR adoption in healthcare.

Complementing this work, NPPTL's Respirator Fit for All Program addresses the lack of formal U.S. systems to guide respirator use among workers not covered by respiratory protection programs (RPPs) and the public. This initiative aims to educate end users on when and how to use respirators effectively. This presentation provides an update on these efforts.