If respiratory protection is a part of your job, then you are part of N95 Day. This landing page is a good place to start, however you will find more information from NIOSH and all of our partners by searching #N95Day on your preferred social media source.

N95 Day 2017 Annual Blog!

One of our favorite parts of the observance is our annual NIOSH Science blog article. We are continuing our theme with this year’s blog discussing When to think Beyond the N95 FFR. Check it out for a summary of what sort of occupational situations merit considering a different respirator than the handy-dandy N95 FFR. You will be pointed to additional resources to continue your N95 Day adventure.

Follow @NIOSH_NPPTL and @NIOSH on twitter (#N95Day) and as well as on the NIOSH Facebook page and Instagram.

Learn More…

Respiratory Protection Infographics

• What are Air-Purifying Respirators?
• Considerations for Respirator Selection in Healthcare
• Why are Annual Fit Tests Required?
• You’ve Just Completed Your Annual Respirator Training….
• Key Requirements of a Respiratory Protection Program
• Summary of Respirator Fit Test Requirements
• Respirator Use and Infection Control in Healthcare
• Required Labeling of NIOSH-Approved N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators
• Understanding and Selecting Respiratory Protection Devices
• Important Steps for Using NIOSH-Approved Filtering Facepiece Respirators
• It’s NOT What You Think! N95 Myth v/s Fact

Respiratory Fit Testing

• New NIOSH Study Supports the OSHA Annual Fit Testing Requirements for Filtering Facepiece Respirators
• Whiteboard video, “A Particle is Particle”
• OSHA Document – Assigned Protection Factors for the Revised Respiratory Protection Standard

Respirator Selection, Approval, and Storage

• Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit
• Implementing Hospital Respiratory Protection Programs: Strategies from the Field
• AAOHN Healthcare Workers’ Respiratory Protection Training
• AAOHN Respiratory Protection Education and Resources Webkit
• NIOSH Science Blog: N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks
• Understanding Respiratory Protection Options in Healthcare: The Overlooked Elastomeric
• NIOSH-Approved Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators
• Respirator Approval Support, Test Procedures, Standards, and User Notices
• Proper Respirator Use, Storage, Maintenance, Repair, and Disposal
• The Importance of a PAPR’s Battery in Assuring Effective Respiratory Protection
• NIOSH Certified Equipment List
• Respirator Trusted-Source Information page

We can’t do this alone. Expanding the web of partnership and collaboration to get respiratory protection information into the hands of those who need it most is the entire point of N95 Day. Our official partners use their social media channels, newsletters, listservs, and word of mouth to deliver resources on respiratory protection (Doesn’t even have to be N95 respirator-related!). We all have one goal here, and that’s to protect the hardworking men and women who rely upon respiratory protection, such as N95 filtering facepiece respirators, keeping them safe with every single use.

We want to acknowledge and thank our partners for their participation:

• 3M
• American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)
• American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN)
• Association of Occupational Health Professionals (AOHP)
• Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)
• Center for Health, Work, and Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health
• Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety
• International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA)
• Makrite Industries
• Miller Electricity
• National Safety Council, Nebraska
• North Carolina Agromedicine Institute
• North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center
• New York New Jersey Education and Research Center
• SAS Safety Corp
• Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
• TSI Incorporated
• U.S. First Responders Association
• Universidad Metropolitana, Institute for Environmental Education – Atlantic OSHA Training Center
• University of Michigan Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering
• University of South Florida Sunshine Education & Research Center
• University of Washington Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Continuing Education Programs
• Venus Safety
• WorldCares Center

N95 Day is a national event. Thank you to the following states that have recognized our observance!

• Illinois
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• New Mexico
• Pennsylvania
• Pittsburgh, PA
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• West Virginia

View recording of webinar*.
*Once this webinar recording loads, you will need to mute the music pod in order to listen to the opening remarks.

View presentation by Kerri Wizner: Prevalence of Respirators in Healthcare Facilities Survey Results [PDF – 1 MB]
View presentation by Lew Radonovich: Elastomeric and Powered-Air Purifying Respirators in U.S. Healthcare [PDF – 1 MB]

Part 1:

In 2014 and 2015 the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) and NIOSH developed an anonymous online survey that was sent to professional nurses societies. This survey explored respiratory protection device prevalence in U.S. healthcare facilities. The purpose of this study was to explore common respirator types, regional differences in respirator types, and to determine if the emergency situation created by Ebola virus changed the landscape of respirator use and awareness. We will discuss the results of that study and how understanding the prevalence of respirator types ensures healthcare workers receive appropriate device training as well as improve supply matching for emergency stockpiling.

Part 2:

In the healthcare industry, the importance of respiratory protection is often overlooked. Choosing the correct respirator for the exposure level and work task is a critical component of a respiratory protection program. Most healthcare workers are aware of the N95 respirator but may not be aware that the re-formable, reusable elastomeric respirators are a viable option for respiratory protection. Elastomeric respirators with N95 cartridges have been used during aerosol transmissible disease outbreak emergencies like SARS as a reusable N95 respirator option. They are a cost-efficient and sustainable alternative when the demand for disposable respirators is excessive.

Part 3: Question and Answer Panel Session:

This year’s question and answer session will be expanded to include a panel of NIOSH experts ready to answer your questions about respiratory protection.

NIOSH is partnering with the Center for Health, Work, and Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health to provide one free hour of continuing education credit. You must register in order to receive the credit. Instructions on how to receive the certificate of credit will be given within the webinar.

Speakers:

Kerri Wizner, MPH, is an Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Public Health Fellow at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Her work at the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) in the Research Branch focuses on healthcare, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness. She has a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in epidemiology and a Bachelors of Science (BS) from the University of Hawaii, Manoa in microbiology. She is also certified in public health (CPH). Ms. Wizner has worked in a variety of public health settings including nonprofits, academic schools of medicine, in clinical research, and at the state health department.

Lew Radonovich, MD, is a Medical Officer and Senior Physician Scientist at the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory in the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has approximately 20 years of clinical practice experience and 15 years of human subjects and policy research experience. His research focus over the past 15 years has been the clinical science of respiratory protection and surge capacity for public health emergencies, with an emphasis on translation of science to frontline healthcare. Formerly he was the Director of the National Center for Occupational Health and Infection Control in the Veterans Health Administration. He is board certified in internal medicine and has advanced training in clinical pharmacology and clinical investigation. He previously held faculty appointments at the University of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins University.

We’re going to say it again, as we do every year, because it never becomes less true…

Life is busy. Work is even busier.

But if N95s are part of your workplace respiratory protection program, please take some time on September 5 to focus on your safety and get to know NIOSH and the resources we provide. Confidence and familiarity with proper respirator practices is important for employers, respiratory protection program managers, and safety managers in all industries who rely on N95 respiratory protection to help keep workers safe. The education to build this familiarity must happen before the time comes when a respirator is needed.

As always, you can check out the resources from the last several N95 Days to keep you occupied until the event. These blog posts highlight the spirit of the day, encouraging users and respiratory protection programs managers everywhere to familiarize themselves with the N95 literature and guidelines available from NIOSH:

2012: Happy N95 Day! (aka, What is N95 Day?)

2013: A Guide to N95 Resources

2014: Respirator Preparedness – Where Technology Meets Good Practices

2015: The tools to build a culture of proper respiratory protection practices

2016: N95 Day 2016: Proper Use, Filtration, and Fit – The Three-Legged Stool of Respiratory Protection

Several years ago we created a short video to summarize N95 Day and the role that NIOSH plays in respiratory protection through the words of the National Personal Protective Laboratory Director, Dr. Maryann D’Alessandro.

We hope respiratory protection program administrators as well as users will look forward to the festivities as we tout our N95 resources through the channels of Facebook, Twitter, and the NIOSH blog once again. We hope that our partner organizations will tout their resources as well. To take part in the day, mark N95 Day on your calendar for September 5 and keep an eye on your social media.