NIOSH approval (respirators)

NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, tests and certifies respirators before they can be sold for workplace use in the United States. The approval covers the complete assembly of facepiece, filters, cartridges and other parts as listed in the approval, so mixing parts from different makers may void it.

Approved respirators are marked with the manufacturer, the approval number and the filter class or cartridge type. Particulate filters carry class and efficiency ratings, and chemical cartridges are color-coded or labeled for the vapors they are approved for. These markings help a worker confirm that the item in hand is the one on the program list.

The OSHA respirator rule, 29 CFR 1910.134, expects employers to select NIOSH-certified equipment. Approval alone does not make a respirator suitable for a job. It must still match the contaminant, be used in the right concentration range based on its Assigned protection factor (APF), be fit tested, and be part of a written program.

Counterfeit or misrepresented products have appeared on the market, especially when demand for masks rises. Buying from authorized suppliers and checking the approval number against the NIOSH certified equipment list are practical safeguards. A surgical mask or a comfort dust mask is not the same as a Respirator with this approval.