Volume 13, Number 5—May 2007
Research
Respirator Donning in Post-Hurricane New Orleans
Figure 1

Figure 1. Noncertified masks and certified respirators. A surgical mask (upper left) and a dust mask (lower left) are examples of disposable masks that are not designed to filter small particles and that are not certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The disposable N95 filtering facepiece respirators pictured on the right (with exhalation valve, upper right; without exhalation valve, lower right) are made of material certified by NIOSH to filter 95% of 0.3-μm diameter particles and bear the NIOSH name and “N95” filter identification. The European FFP2 respirator is most analogous to the N95 filtering facepiece respirator. NIOSH also certifies more expensive reusable respirators (not pictured), which can be fitted with disposable cartridges that filter particles. Reusable respirators may cover the face from the bridge of the nose to the chin (half-face) or from the forehead to the chin (full-face).