NIOSH Returns to Conventional Processing of Respirator Approvals

NIOSH’s Respirator Approval Program will no longer prioritize respirator approval applications by type of respirator as it did during the COVID-19 public health emergency, the agency announced in July. During the public health emergency, which expired on May 11, NIOSH prioritized applications for the approval of air-purifying particulate filtering respirators due to increased demand and decreased supply brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the agency returns to conventional operations, the supply and availability of respirators of this type has “increased significantly,” NIOSH explains in a letter to manufacturers from its National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory.

NIOSH will review respirator approval applications in the following order: new applications submitted by approval holders or applications for an extension of approval for any type of respiratory protection; first applications submitted by new respirator applicants; and applications resubmitted by new respirator applicants after a prior denial by NIOSH.

Applications for air-purifying particulate respirators that include a novel head suspension, such as ear loops, will not be accepted, NIOSH’s notice reminds approval holders and applicants. According to the agency, its approval program does not currently have a defined performance standard against which to assess such devices.

Further details about conventional application processing for NIOSH’s Respirator Approval Program can be found on the agency’s website.