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Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers
Helping Protect You, So You Can Protect Them
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Your safety is essential in order to deliver care to your patients. Even in a time of constrained resources, you show up for them. You care for them. You protect them. As we navigate through this time of change together, we share a common goal: Making respiratory protection the highest priority.
You rely on us for respiratory protection. We continue to increase production to meet ongoing demand as you continue care and as elective procedures return. It’s all part of our shared mission to transform outcomes, which starts with helping protect you, so you can protect those in your care.
Respiratory Protection Resources
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Understanding Respiratory ProtectionWe know you have questions related to PPE. We are here to provide guidance on the different types of PPE, understanding proper use and protecting your skin from extended PPE use.
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Respiratory Protection Product OptionsFrom disposable and reusable respirators to powered air-purifying respirators, explore the range of respiratory protection options that are available for use in healthcare environments.
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Fit Testing SupportFit testing is a critical part of your respiratory protection program. Click below to learn more about fit testing and resources available to help ensure your team’s safety.
Looking for Industrial respiratory protection?
View Industrial Safety ProductsRespiratory Protection Featured Information
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Respiratory Protection Product AvailabilityWe are fully committed to helping fight the spread of COVID-19 by supporting healthcare works around the world. This pandemic is affecting all of us, and we are doing everything we can to support public health–including doubling our global output of N95 respirators and getting them to healthcare providers on the front lines of the pandemic.
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Respiratory Protection SeriesJoin our experts to take a deeper dive into respiratory protection topics to help reduce risks in the fight against COVID-19.
Part 1: Respiratory protection options and proper technique for donning and doffing
Part 2: Fraudulent activity, imported respirators, decontamination methods and skin protection
Part 3: A closer look at FEMA – Imported respirators from Asia
Part 4: Respirator implementation considerations
FDA Revokes use of non-NIOSH approved respirators
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On June 30, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the revocation of the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for non-NIOSH approved respirators from China and other countries outside the US due to multiple factors including the increase in availability of NIOSH approved respirators. This revocation is effective July 6, 2021, and affects the emergency use authorization of such respirators by healthcare personnel in healthcare settings. We are in the process of reviewing and updating our materials accordingly. Additional information is available on the FDA website.
Top Frequently Asked Questions on Respiratory Protection
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What is the difference between Standard (non-surgical) N95 Respirators and Surgical N95 Respirators?
Standard and surgical N95 respirators are both designed to help reduce the wearer’s exposure to airborne particulate hazards. In addition, surgical N95 respirators are FDA cleared as a medical device and can be used as a fluid barrier to splashes and sprays. Standard and surgical N95 respirators are both NIOSH-approved.
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What is the difference in intended use with a Standard (non-surgical) N95 Respirators, Surgical N95 Respirators and Surgical Mask?
N95 Respirators are designed to help reduce the wearer’s exposure to airborne particles.
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Can filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) be re-used in Healthcare settings?
Generally, respirators can be worn until they are dirty, damaged or difficult to breathe through. Note that if an FFR is used to filter bioaerosols, those potentially infectious particles will remain on the filter fibers, and therefore the respirator could become a potential source of contact contamination after use. If extended use or reuse of FFR is permitted, refer to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Respirators and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration Covid-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard.
Extended use refers to the practice of wearing the same N95 respirator for repeated close contact encounters with several patients, without removing the respirator between patient encounters.
Reuse refers to the practice of using the same N95 respirator for multiple encounters with patients but removing it (‘doffing’) after each encounter. The respirator is stored in between encounters to be put on again (‘donned’) prior to the next encounter with a patient. Thus, N95 respirator reuse is often referred to as “limited reuse”.
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What is an elastomeric respirator?
An elastomeric respirator is a reusable piece of personal protective equipment with exchangeable filters. When properly selected and worn, reusable respirators effectively filter airborne particulate hazards. They are designed to fit tightly to the face and can be cleaned and reused.
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What is a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR)?
PAPRs are a type of respirator that use a blower to force the ambient air through air-purifying elements. When properly selected and worn, PAPRs effectively filter airborne particulate hazards. They are designed to fit over some facial hair and they are available in a variety of styles and facepiece/headtop offerings.
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What is the respiratory protection for surgical applications?
It is the responsibility of the healthcare organization to determine acceptability of any respirator to help protect their personnel and ensure compliance with the respiratory protection program requirements of the U.S. Federal and/or State OSHA. The healthcare organization must also determine which tasks are considered “surgical procedures,” and if respiratory protection is required for these surgical procedures, they would need to use FDA-cleared surgical N95 respirators for those tasks and a parenthetical (or other configurations approved for emergency use).
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Where are the millions of N95 respirators you’re producing going?
Since the pandemic began, 3M has worked with authorized distributors to deliver hundreds of millions of respirators to frontline health care workers and first responders around the world. Within individual regions and countries, 3M works with governments, health agencies, distributors and others to prioritize supplies to the most critical needs. The reality is the demand for respirators will continue to exceed supply for the foreseeable future. We have huge increases in demand for some of our products. Some health care facilities have increased their consumption of PPE by up to 20 times. While we can deliver more products as we invest in more manufacturing infrastructure to serve the public, demand severely outstrips supply.
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How many N95s are being delivered to which state and when?
Since the pandemic began, in the U.S., 3M has delivered nearly 100 million N95 respirators directly to hospitals and more than 100 million to FEMA and the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile. We are working with state governments, FEMA, and others to prioritize, triage and redirect supplies to serve the most critical needs.
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If a hospital needs respirators, how can they get what they need from 3M?
U.S. hospitals in need of respirators should work through their primary distributor and FEMA. Our distributor network represents the most efficient way to get products.
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Additional 3M programs
As your facility continues to return to work and open accessibility to procedures, 3M is dedicated to providing you with the information needed to help keep people protected at every touchpoint.
