NIOSH to host ‘N95 Day’ for respirator awareness

Washington – NIOSH is seeking to raise workplace respirator awareness during N95 Day on Sept. 5.

The day will feature a series of events intended to increase worker and employer knowledge of respirator safety and protection by discussing best practices and answering questions. Events will include a live webinar with NIOSH professionals, the release of infographics and blog posts, and a Twitter chat at 2 p.m. Eastern (using the hashtag #N95Day).

More than 20 million workers in a variety of industries are exposed to airborne health risks, and NIOSH recommends workers potentially exposed to such hazards use N95 respirators, which filter at least 95 percent of airborne particles.

“N95 Day allows us to place even greater emphasis on making sure that accurate and actionable information is available for employers and workers alike,” Maryann D’Alessandro, director of the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, said in a press release.