Use of Unapproved “Respirators” (Not NIOSH Approved)

During recent inspections of indoor cannabis growing facilities, Worker Health and
Safety (WHS) field staff have noted some incongruities concerning Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) and respiratory protection. In particular, the industrial hygienists have noted
respiratory protection that is not National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
approved. One indicator of this is a lack of a manufacturer’s logo on the mask. However,
presence of a logo is not necessarily proof of authenticity. To verify whether respirators are
NIOSH certified and approved, go to NIOSH’s Certified Equipment List website.

Several key manufacturers are listed below, although numerous others can be found on the NIOSH CEL.

Absence from the NIOSH CEL is a good indicator of an unapproved respirator. Additional indicators include:

• Lack of or incorrect TC (tested and certified) approval numbers (see list below for legitimate TC-approval codes)
• No manufacturer logo on the cartridge/canister/filter media
• Incorrect color code (see below)
• No NIOSH logo
• Cartridge/filter manufacturer’s logo does not match the logo/manufacture of the mask itself.

These unapproved masks can be easily purchased on Amazon and undercut the legitimate equipment (3M full face = $125; knock-off $29). Additionally, legitimate manufacturers design their cartridges to be incompatible with other manufacturers equipment. Knock-offs intentionally copy the connection design of legitimate companies to allow prohibited connection to their masks. Using a non-approved respirator is a violation of Title 3 CCR Section 6739 (c).

A respirator labeled as a KN95 respirator is expected to conform to China’s GB2626 standard. NIOSH does not approve KN95 products, or any other respiratory protective devices certified to international standards. All ear-loop masks are not approved by NIOSH.

Ear loops

No such designation as 3N

No logo on mask or filters

No logo on mask

Ear loop and KN type

No logo on mask

Please direct any questions on this subject to Senior Industrial Hygienist Harvard R. Fong, CIH, Exposure Monitoring and Industrial Hygiene Program, at 916-603-7814 or by email at Harvard.fong@cdpr.ca.gov.

Sincerely,