Important Information About Counterfeit Respirators / Misrepresentation of NIOSH-Approval
Updated April 28, 2020
Counterfeit respirators are products that are falsely marketed and
sold as being NIOSH-approved and may not be capable of providing appropriate
respiratory protection to workers.
When NIOSH becomes aware of counterfeit respirators or those misrepresenting NIOSH approval on the market, we will post them here to alert users, purchasers, and manufacturers.
How to identify a NIOSH-approved respirator:
NIOSH-approved respirators have an approval label on or within the packaging of the respirator (i.e. on the box itself and/or within the users’ instructions). Additionally, an abbreviated approval is on the FFR itself. You can verify the approval number on the NIOSH Certified Equipment List (CEL) or the NIOSH Trusted-Source page to determine if the respirator has been approved by NIOSH. NIOSH-approved FFRs will always have one the following designations: N95, N99, N100, R95, R99, R100, P95, P99, P100.
Signs that a respirator may be counterfeit:
· No markings at all on the filtering facepiece respirator
· No approval (TC) number on filtering facepiece respirator or headband
· No NIOSH markings
· NIOSH spelled incorrectly
· Presence of decorative fabric or other decorative add-ons (e.g., sequins)
· Claims for the of approval for children (NIOSH does not approve any type of respiratory protection for children)
· Filtering facepiece respirator has ear loops instead of headbands
Additional Tips for Spotting Counterfeit Respirators
Updated April 21, 2020
Before buying large quantities of respirators from third party market places or unfamiliar websites, look for the following possible warning signs:
Third-party marketplaces
· If a listing claims to be “legitimate” and “genuine,” it likely is not.
· Examine transactions history and feedback if possible
o On auction sites or third-party distribution networks, most have a link to the seller of the item and their past sales. This is where buyers have the option to leave feedback regarding the experience with the seller such as if the buyer received the item as advertised, if they received it in reasonable amount of time, and if the buyer was unhappy with the product. Many reviewers will report if a product didn’t work or if it was cheap in construction.
· Are there fluctuations of items traded over time (high or low periods of transaction?)
o Is the seller marketing the same products over time, or are they primarily selling trendy items? Legitimate businesses and distributors typically sell what they know and stay consistent with their stock over time. A buyer should be able to discover this by looking into a businesses’ other products. Buyers should also be able to gain insight to sellers on big online platforms (reviews of the seller).
· Are there price deviations and fluctuations (Is it too good to be true?)
· Look at the quantity a buyer has in stock.
o During a time of shortage, advertising “unlimited stock” could be an indication that the respirator is not approved.
· Does the seller break marketplace policy and hide their contact information within images to circumvent filters.
o Typical third-party marketplaces require interactions between seller and buyer to occur within an on-site messaging system. Sellers should not try to circumvent this system to display personal contact information.
On websites – look at the big picture
· Is the primary contact email address connected to the website or is it a free email account?
o Using a free email service may suggest the seller is not committed to the domain
· Look for bad grammar, typos, and other errors.
· Watch for cookie-cutter websites, where the sellers interchange several websites, making mistakes:
o Mixing up names/logos
o Leaving the site partially unfinished with dummy text
o Blank pages
o A nonsense privacy policy page and/or broken links.
o Domain squatting type activity (misspell the domain).
