Search

How to Spot a Counterfeit Respirator

Posted on 5/4/2020 by Lauren Scott

Many facilities are struggling to find respirators approved for use against COVID-19. Due to the national respirator shortage, some companies are seeking less conventional third-party marketplaces with the hope of keeping their essential staff and employees safe. But don’t be fooled! Many counterfeit masks appear strikingly similar to their approved counterpart. Here’s how to tell the difference.

How to Identify a NIOSH-approved Respirator

Only filter facepiece respirators (FFRs) approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have been tested and proven to operate effectively during correct usage. NIOSH-approved respirators will always have one the following designations: N95, N99, N100, R95, R99, R100, P95, P99, or P100.

NIOSH-approved FFRs have an approval label on or within the packaging. Therefore, the approval label may be on the respirator box itself or in the instruction manual. An abbreviated approval is also on the respirator itself.

You can verify the approval number on the NIOSH Certified Equipment List (CEL) or the NIOSH Trusted-Source web page to determine if the respirator has been approved by NIOSH.

Tips for Spotting a Fake NIOSH Respirator

The CDC has issued many quick tips to help buyers understand how to identify a counterfeit FFR before making a purchase. Here are a few:
  • No markings or approval number on the FFR or headband
  • No NIOSH markings
  • NIOSH spelled incorrectly
  • Presence of decorative fabric or other add-ons (e.g., sequins, glitter)
  • Claims of approval for children (no FFRs are approved for use on children)
  • FFR has ear loops instead of headbands

What to Look for When Shopping Online

When searching online for a new FFR supplier, there are a couple of ways to spot a sketchy website:
  • Is the primary contact e-mail address connected to the website or is it a free e-mail account? Using a free e-mail service may suggest the seller is not committed to the domain.
  • Look for bad grammar, typos, and other errors
  • Mixing up names/logos
  • Leaving the site partially unfinished with dummy text
  • Blank pages
  • A nonsense privacy policy page and/or broken links

Convenient, Online OSHA Safety Training

Industry professionals worldwide are turning to online training to keep operations on track and protect employees. Lion’s online OSHA courses can help ensure your workers know their responsibilities, even when your team is spread out across multiple locations.
 
Lion’s most popular OSHA courses:
Respiratory Protection (in English or Spanish)
Personal Protective Equipment
10-Hour OSHA General Industry
Introduction to Industrial Hygiene
Health and Safety Management

 

Tags: coronavirus, counterfeit respirator, COVID-19, fake respirator, health and safety, N95, NIOSH, osha, respirator, workplace safety

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

I think LION does an excellent job of any training they do. Materials provided are very useful to my day-to-day work activities.

Pamela Embody

EHS Specialist

Lion is at the top of the industry in compliance training. Course content and structure are updated frequently to make annual re-training enjoyable. I like that Lion has experts that I can contact for 1 year after the training.

Caroline Froning

Plant Chemist

This is a very informative training compared to others. It covers everything I expect to learn and even a lot of new things.

Quatama Jackson

Waste Management Professional

You blew the doors off the competition!

Stephen Bieschke

Facilities Manager

I have been to other training companies, but Lion’s material is much better and easier to understand.

Mark Abell

Regional Manager

The instructor was great, explaining complex topics in terms that were easily understandable and answering questions clearly and thoroughly.

Brittany Holm

Lab Supervisor

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

Having the tutorial buttons for additional information was extremely beneficial.

Sharon Ziemek

EHS Manager

I love that the instructor emphasized the thought process behind the regs.

Rebecca Saxena

Corporate Product Stewardship Specialist

Lion Technology workshops are amazing!! You always learn so much, and the instructors are fantastic.

Dorothy Rurak

Environmental Specialist

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Get to know the top 5 changes to OSHA’s revised GHS Hazard Communication Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200 and how the updates impacts employee safety at your facility.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.