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Law360 (October 19, 2020, 3:22 PM EDT) -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed Monday that an N95 respirator is effective at protecting the wearer from COVID-19, debunking fears that the virus that causes the disease is too small to be trapped by the filter.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Monday that an N95 respirator is "very effective" at protecting the wearer from COVID-19, challenging claims that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is too small for the filter to capture.
The agency clarified that an N95 respirator is designed to filter out at least 95% of the most difficult particles to trap, which are 0.3 microns in size. One micron equals 1/1000th of a millimeter.
While OSHA said some people have "mistakenly claimed" that the virus that causes COVID-19, known as SARS-CoV-2, can't be filtered out by the face mask because it clocks in around 0.1 microns, the agency made clear that stems from a "misunderstanding of how respirators work."
For one, the virus rarely travels alone, as it often moves through the air with companions that are much larger. When an infected person expels the virus into the air — by coughing, talking or sneezing — the particles that are airborne consist of more than just SARS-CoV-2, as they also contain water or mucus, according to OSHA.
"These larger particles are easily trapped and filtered out by N95 respirators because they are too big to pass through the filter," the agency said.
Smaller attackers are also going to get stuck, OSHA said.
The agency pointed out that N95 respirators are actually better at trapping floaters smaller or larger than 0.3 microns, because of the complicated way that extremely small particles move. The ones clocking in at less than 0.3 microns are lighter and bouncier than their larger counterparts, meaning they're very likely to hit a filter fiber and stick to it.
"An N95 respirator is more effective at filtering particles that are smaller or larger than 0.3 microns in size," the agency said.
However, OSHA emphasized that even the most effective protective gear can't single-handedly stymie the spread of COVID-19, and reminded employers that other precautions need to be in play.
"Respirators, when required, must be used as part of a comprehensive, written respiratory protection program that meets the requirements of OSHA's Respiratory Protection Standard," the agency said, a program that it says should include medical evaluations, training and fit testing.
Just before the weekend, the agency announced it had cited more than two dozen firms since mid-July for failing to roll out that type of system. The total amount of virus-related fines the agency has levied against employers for violations including failure to implement a written respiratory protection program, to provide a respirator fit test or training or to report injuries or illnesses now amounts to more than $1.2 million.
--Additional reporting by Max Kutner. Editing by Stephen Berg.
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