European respirator standards

The European respirator standards refer to the filtering classification by EN 149, EN 14683, and EN 143, all European standards of testing and marking requirements for respirators.[1] FFP standard masks (where FFP stands for filtering facepiece)[2] cover the nose, mouth and chin and may have inhalation and/or exhalation valves.[1]

EN 149 defines three classes of such particle half masks, called FFP1, FFP2 and FFP3, according to their filtering efficiency. It also classifies masks into "single shift use only" (not re-usable, marked NR) or "re-usable (more than one shift)" (marked R), while an additional marking letter D indicates that a mask has passed an optional clogging test using dolomite dust. Such mechanical filter respirators protect against the inhalation of particulates such as dust particles, droplets, and aerosols.[3] EN 14683 defines respirators for use in medical settings,[4] while European standard EN 143 defines the 'P' classes of particle filters that can be attached to a face mask, which are P1, P2, and P3. The EN 143 filters are typically used on reusable respirators, like elastomeric respirators.[5]

EN 14387 is the chemical cartridge standard in Europe.

Almost identical tests (but different markings) are used in Australia, New Zealand, Korea and Brazil. Similar standards are used in the United States, China and Japan. For example, EN 149 FFP2 masks have similar performance requirements to N95 masks in the United States and KN95 filters of China, and EN 149 FFP3 masks have similar performance requirements to N99 masks in the United States. However EN 149 test requirements differ somewhat from the U.S./Chinese/Japanese standards: EN 149 requires an additional paraffin oil (paraffinum perliquidum) aerosol test and it tests at a range of different flow rates and defines several associated and permissible pressure drop levels.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Respiratory protective devices – Filtering half masks to protect against particles – Requirements, testing, marking, European Committee for Standardization (CEN), May 2009, EN 149:2001+A1:2009 (E)
  2. ^ Respiratory Protective Equipment hsa.ie
  3. ^ "WIP-Richtlijn Persoonlijke beschermingsmiddelen [ZKH]" (PDF). rivm.nl. Werkgroep Infectie Preventie, RIVM. September 2015. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
  4. ^ "COVID-19 Technical Specifications for Personal Protective Equipment and Related IPC supplies" (PDF). World Health Organization.
  5. ^ "Fiche pratique de sécurité ED 105. Appareils de protection respiratoire et métiers de la santé" (PDF). inrs.fr. INRS. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Comparison of FFP2, KN95, and N95 and Other Filtering Facepiece Respirator Classes" (PDF). 3M Technical Data Bulletin. 2020-01-01. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  7. ^ "Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators: Crisis/Alternate Strategies". U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2020-03-17. Retrieved 2020-03-28. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.