The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has become aware of N95 respirators being improperly sold by Toolway Industries in Canada with NIOSH Approval Numbers 84A-3323, 84A-4430 and 84A-6766. While these are valid NIOSH Approval Numbers, they were not issued to Toolway Industries. In all three cases, the company holding the approval does not have a relationship with Toolway, nor are they being manufactured under a private label agreement. If you have purchased any products from Toolway Industries bearing the NIOSH Approval Numbers 84A-3323, 84A-4430 or 84A-6766, please be advised that the product has not been tested or approved by NIOSH.

Should you ever have a question or concern about the authenticity of a respirator marked with a NIOSH Approval Number, please consult the agency’s Certified Equipment List at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/cel/default.html  or check the status at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/default.html. Always verify that the brand of respirator is listed either in NIOSH’s list of manufacturers or as a private label company.

The NIOSH publication 2013-138 “Respirator Awareness: Your Health May Depend on It” provides additional information to look for when verifying that your respirator is truly NIOSH-approved.

Information provided by Bobbi Jo Hurst, RN, BSN, COHN-S