The COVID-19 pandemic has created a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, first responders, frontline employees like those who work in grocery stores or on public transportation, as well as everyday consumers. Intertek offers Total Quality Assurance for your COVID-19-related PPE with our testing, inspection and certification services.

EU’s Safety Gate rapid alert system issued a total of 56 notifications related to particle filter masks from January 1, 2021, through May 31, 2021, primarily for lack of certification by the appropriate notified body and poor filtration performance.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continues to collaborate with federal partners and the trade community to facilitate the importation of legitimate medical supplies and other goods necessary for the COVID-19 response, while also verifying that those goods are authorized and safe for use. As part of that effort, CBP is interdicting fraudulent and unauthorized goods that could harm the health and safety of Americans. Between January 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021, CBP seized the following COVID-19 related items:

• More than 38 million counterfeit face masks seized in 770 incidents,
• Approximately 450,000 containers of hand sanitizer in 37 incidents.

Different regulations and requirements exist for face shields and safety goggles in different parts of the world. We’ve outlined some of the key details for the U.S. and Europe/UK markets.

In April 2021 the British Standards Institute published a third guidance document, BSI Flex 5555 version 2.1, which supersedes version 2.0, with the main changes focused on filtration efficiency requirements and material filtration efficiency for community face coverings. The change in Filtration Efficiency Requirements are now consistent with the testing options in section 6.4 Material Filtration Efficiency test where particle size has been added.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recommended additional guidance for face coverings for workplaces which builds upon ASTM F3502-21, called Workplace Performance and Workplace Performance Plus. Protecting individuals while they work, this guidance requires manufacturers to conform to all criteria stated in ASTM F3502-21 and meet additional quantitative leakage criteria.

Intertek can help manufacturers testing to ASTM International’s standard for Barrier Face Coverings (BFC) F3502understand guidelines and evaluate fabric face masks for compliance. Watch our video to learn about the types of performance and safety tests performed, as well as additional information on performance requirements.

To learn about the various requirements and standards that have been introduced for fabric face masks throughout Europe and in the United States, and how you could make use of the Intertek Mask Label to build customer confidence in your mask products, download our webinar.

Intertek’s innovative Mask Label Program supports our customers in communicating the verified quality and performance attributes of mask products – including medical masks, respirators and community masks – to their stakeholders through a trusted tool. Watch our video to learn how the Mask Label Program also helps to promote quality and increase traceability of mask products on the market.