"Over the past few weeks, concerns about COVID-19 have been growing and changing rapidly in Canada. From day one, we have looked at this through the perspective of how it will affect first responders, medical workers and medical staff Health risks.
At present, N95 masks are in short supply worldwide. It is reported that since the outbreak of SARS in 2002, Ontario has hoarded 55 million masks, but now it has expired. This requires a question "Can I still use an expired N95 mask?"
Can you use expired N95 masks?
In February this year, 3M, a manufacturer of gas masks, released a technical report called "Notes on Gas Masks Beyond the Shelf Life", which provided some insights Wholesale N95 Mask.
This technical report introduces readers to the guidelines issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "Strategy for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respiratory Masks."
"In the case of increased demand and reduced supply, you can consider using N95 respirators that exceed the expected shelf life. However, the respirator may not meet the certification requirements. Over time, parts such as straps and materials may deteriorate, which affects The quality of the fit and seal. Before using the N95 respirator, HCP (medical professional) should check the respirator and perform a seal check. In addition, expired respirator may no longer meet the certification requirements of NIOSH.
Levitt-Safety conducted random fit tests using expired masks from different brands. According to our experience, these masks still passed the health test, indicating that the tested masks can still be used normally.
It should be noted that we tested expired masks within a limited sample size. This does not necessarily mean that all expired masks are valid. We recommend that customers test themselves before issuing any expired masks.
Before using expired N95 Mask, you should try purchasing other niosh approved respirators, including:
Various types of filter masks
Respirator or
Powdered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR)
This follows the best practices in "Optimizing N95 Respirator Supply Strategy".
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention made this recommendation because health care services are indispensable and services must continue to be provided in the face of the 19th polio outbreak.
Any organization that chooses to use the expired N95 mask should notify the staff before use. The organization should also emphasize again the importance of inspection and user seal inspection.
In short, if you decide to use an expired N95 protective mask, you must understand:
They are not respirator approved by niosh.
You should ensure that they are stored according to the manufacturer's specifications.
They must be properly checked, including headband and nose parts
They should be your last choice after the N95s, flexible APR and PAPR "
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