Workplace Health and Safety Queensland recently issued a safety alert to assist businesses in identifying fake (non-certified) respirators and highlight the risks associated with using them.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand for half-face disposable respirators, and as a result, some industries have had difficulty getting disposable respirators used for protection against dusts and chemicals including silica, asbestos and lead.

This extra demand is leading to fake respiratory protective equipment (RPE) entering the Australian market.

In Australia, most disposable respirators and filters that give protection against dusts and other particles are classified and marked as P1, P2 or P3, in accordance with the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1716:2012.

There are also international standards for the classification of these respirators, with the United States ‘N95’, European ‘FFP2’ and Chinese ‘KN95’ considered equivalent to the Australian P2 and acceptable in Australian workplaces.

(For more information see a comparison of equivalent respirator certification standards).

The safety alert highlighted a number of key points:

• RPE that is compliant to AS/NZS 1716:2012 has the manufacturer’s name, trade name or mark on the mask or facepiece and filters have the manufacturer’s name, trade name or mark, and the filter classification (P1, P2 or P3).
• Many companies that manufacture RPE are certified by an independent body, such as SAI Global, and normally have their licence number marked on the packaging that the RPE is supplied in.
• All RPE used in the United States must be certified by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which maintains a list of approved RPE. Some of these masks are imported into Australia.

The alert also recommended a number of required actions:

• Before buying RPE, make sure it meets the Australian Standard or international equivalent, especially if there is doubt about performance claims.
• Get product certificates from the manufacturer that certify the RPE has been manufactured in accordance with AS/NZS 1716: 2012 or an equivalent international standard.
• Check the product certificates issued by a certifying body are genuine. They will have a licence number and the manufacturer’s name which can be found on the certifying body’s website, along with a list of the licensed models of respirators and filters.
• If using N95 respirators, check this NIOSH list for all the approved United States N95 disposable respirators.

The alert comes after a recent call from the ACTU and a coalition of workplace health and safety-related organisations across Australia and New Zealand for the urgent establishment of a register for approved respirators.

The group describes the presence of non-compliant, fake and faulty disposable masks as an immediate threat to the health and safety of workers.

At the launch of the coalition’s Guide to Buying P2, or Equivalent, Respirators for use in the Australian & New Zealand Work Environment, Naomi Kemp, Chair of the Australian Institute of Health & Safety said most people make an assumption that if they find a face mask for sale in Australia, that it has been assessed and met a standard.

“This is not true. Too many groups are taking advantage of a voluntary system and creating confusion,” she said.

“This is bad for the genuine, reputable suppliers, it’s bad for the businesses that purchase the products, and it’s bad for the people who use them.

“Businesses need protection from the risks of using faulty equipment, and workers need protection for their health.”

Kemp explained that the dangers of unapproved respirators extend beyond the risks of exposure to, and transmission of COVID-19.

“We already had major problems with last season’s bushfires, and we are still seeing cases of black lung and silicosis which cause workplace deaths,” she said.

“With the flood of new products onto the market, we now have fake and non-conforming face masks potentially being misused in these environments as well.”

Article originally published by the Australian Institute of Health and Safety.

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