CPCSupport:Generic Mask Tips
Still drafting...
With the rise of people masking in 2024 on their own volition, probably owing to nasty, longer-lasting COVID variants, I thought it would be worth reiterating what we've learned about masking over the last few years. Some are still masking with surgicals, which, as we've covered, is not adequate. For those not in the know (or those not wanting to learn about qualitative fit testing, which you should definitely learn, by the way), well, let's put it this way:
- OSHA requires a passing fit factor of 100 for respiratory protection.
- Surgical masks, which leak air, have a fit factor of 2.
Is 2/100 a passing grade?
Okay, okay, I get it, you get it, surgical masks are bad. At this point, you might be asking for mask recommendations, but I'm not going to give you any, because honestly, your face is different, you ought to do fit testing, and I'm not one to encourage brand loyalty (with one patented exception). So instead, I'm going to cast broad strokes on things learned over the past years with different mask designs from thousands of CPC tests. With that being said, if you do want a list of masks for some reason...
The NPPTL
NIOSH maintains a list of certified N95-N100 masks on their certified equipment list website. Just go to 'Quick Searches,' then either 'Respirators of Current Interest' or 'Filtering Facepiece respirators,' then choose a certification.
NIOSH is one of the few government entities with a public list, as far as I can tell. (And by few, I mean the only one, unfortunately.)
N95 (among others markings, like P100 and the word "NIOSH") are protected markings under federal law (42 CFR), so don't go slapping it on your next mask. If it's not on the NPPTL, it's illegal. And it would super illegal if you accidentally killed a coal miner or something, so don't do that.
Well, with one legal exception: The N95-Companion from TSI. But unless you want to read CPCSupport, you don't need to worry about that.
But wait: Before you choose a certification, there have been reports that certain newer Chinese masks, that are about as cheap as the oldest NIOSH masks, may be better than the cheapest NIOSH approved masks?? So you might want to read on...
But let's say despite this, you don't care about upgrading your mask, and you don't want to waste your collection of surgical masks you've collected. Though N95s have fallen in price steeply to as low as 25 cents each, maybe I don't know, you've bankrupted yourself in 2020 being paying a scalper $100+ for a box of surgical masks? If... if this is you, take a look at this:
Mask Fitters
Back in 2020, when actually good PPE was hard to come by, it was discovered by some that a surgical mask could be made to fit, and even pass OSHA's 100 fit factor requirement, simply with some rubber. They're called mask braces. You can see an example of one in action here. So if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to use one of the crappy masks described below, it may be worthwhile spending a little more to get substantially more protection out of your existing crappy masks. You can even make them yourself with a few clicks on your favorite search engine.
"One of the crappy masks described below"
Things may make you wonder: "Does that certification (N95, KN95, KF94, FFP2, whatever) even mean anything?"
Cloth Masks
There is one exception to the mask fitter rule. If you're wearing a cloth mask, or some other mask that doesn't have meltblown in it, you can forget about the mask fitter. They let pretty much any problematic particle in, and especially when wet (contrary to popular belief). On top of that, they're hard to breathe in too! Fortunately, these masks purport to be 'reusable,' so hopefully you haven't wasted too much money on these.
Earloop Masks
A person on Reddit (I can't find the source, unfortunately) pointed out that earloop masks fit one position and one position only, compared to headband masks, which effectively have infinite positions (within constraints.) This means if your earloops don't fit perfectly, you likely won't get a good fit with them at all. With headband masks, you can at least attempt to adjust the headband.
Masks in this category notoriously include:
- Most KN95 masks (more on this later).
- Pretty much all KF94 masks.
- Some P1/FFP1 or P2/FFP2 European masks?
Yes, despite the fact KF94 masks being regulated by the KFDA, they appear to only regulate the filter.
NO NIOSH-approved N95 masks have any earloops. Theoretically, they could be approved, but that hasn't happened yet, as far as we know.
Bifold Masks
Fit Test the Planet's testing has shown that bifolds, by and large, do not fit very well. Ghhughes points out you have to bend the nose wire quite substantially to get it to get rid of any gaps. Any gaps will substantially reduce your fit factor down to single digits. Since most people don their masks in a rush, it might not be such a good idea to rely on bifolds.
Masks that are too large or small
Avoid "large" and "small" sizes, unless you're underage or fail a fit test. Companies that do fit test panels usually try to ensure that the "medium" size (or the one closest to it) will fit the vast majority of a given population's fit test panel. With that said, these fit test panels often come from biased datasets, so you should do a fit test anyway. There's a reason why fit testing still exists.
Experimental Masks
Unless you do fit testing, don't. If they haven't gone through the effort to certify or even self-certify, have they even gone through the effort to create a protective mask?
And now, a word on surgical masks...
In the US, did you know there are actually two Department of Health and Human Services agencies responsible for certifying masks? NIOSH certifies the particulate and face seal, but the the FDA certifies masks from liquid penetration.
A legitimate surgical mask can be searched here, for FDA registration. Also, if your mask purports to be a surgical N95, you will find it listed on both the NPPTL and the FDA registration site.
That's not to say any of these mask are good by themselves in terms of fit factor. You will still need a mask fitter if you decide to continue donning a surgical mask.
Masks that aren't crappy??
Duckbills
No huge issues here, but there are two manufacturers we know of that are selling N95, certified, no less, with fragile head bands and below spec filtration for under 25 cents.