NIOSH-Approved Disposable Particulate Respirators (Filtering Facepieces)

Recent CDC infection control guidance documents provide recommendations that healthcare workers protect themselves from diseases potentially spread through the air (such as SARS or tuberculosis) by wearing a fit tested respirator at least as protective as a NIOSH-approved N95 respirator.

An N95 respirator is one of nine types of disposable particulate respirators. Particulate respirators are also known as air-purifying respirators because they protect by filtering particles out of the air you breathe. Workers can wear any one of the particulate respirators for protection against diseases spread through the air - if they are NIOSH approved and if they have been properly fit-tested and maintained. NIOSH-approved disposable respirators are marked with the manufacturer's name, the part number (P/N), the protection provided by the filter (e.g. N95), and NIOSH.

Select a type of disposable particulate respirator (filtering facepiece) for more information:

* No NIOSH approvals are held by this type of disposable particulate respirator.

For more information, see these related NIOSH Topics: