who have influenza-like symptoms. These

generally include those workers who work in

occupations classified as very high exposure

risk or high exposure risk to pandemic influenza. For additional information on very

high and high exposure risk occupations,

please refer to OSHA Publication No. 3327,

entitled Guidance on PreparingWorkplaces

for an Influenza Pandemic, which can be

found at http://www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/

pandemicflu/index.html.

Where workers are required by employers to

wear respirators, they must be NIOSH-certified, selected, and used in the context of a

comprehensive respiratory protection program, (see OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.134,

or www.osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/index.html). It is important to medically

evaluate workers to ensure that they can perform work tasks while wearing a respirator.

For many workers, medical evaluation may

be accomplished by having a physician or

other licensed healthcare provider review a

The use of surgical masks or respirators

is one practice that may reduce the risk of

infectious disease transmission between infected and noninfected persons. Since there

is limited historical information on the effectiveness of surgical masks and respirators for

the control of influenza during any previous

pandemics, the effectiveness of surgical

masks and respirators has been inferred on

the basis of the mode of influenza transmission, particle size and professional judgment.

To offer protection, both surgical masks and

respirators need to be worn correctly and

consistently. If used properly, surgical masks

and respirators both have a role in preventing different types of exposures. During an

influenza pandemic, surgical masks and respirators need to be used in conjunction with

interventions that are known to prevent the

spread of infection, such as engineering and

administrative controls (e.g., installing sneeze

guards, teleworking) and work practices (e.g.,

cough etiquette, hand hygiene, and avoiding

large gatherings).

Respirators

Respirators are designed to reduce a worker’s

exposure to airborne contaminants. Respirators come in various sizes and must be individually selected to fit the wearer’s face and

to provide a tight seal. A proper seal between

the user’s face and the respirator forces inhaled air to be pulled through the respirator’s

filter material and not through gaps between

the face and respirator.

Respirators offer the best protection for

workers who must work closely (either in

contact with or within 6 feet) with people

FactSheet

Respiratory Infection Control:

Respirators Versus Surgical Masks

It is important that employers and workers understand the significant differences

between these two types of personal protective equipment. The decision whether

or not to require workers to use either surgical masks or respirators must be

based upon a hazard analysis of the workers’ specific work environments and the

different protective properties of each type of personal protective equipment.
respiratory questionnaire completed by the

worker (found in Appendix C of OSHA’s

Respiratory Protection standard, 29 CFR

1910.134) to determine if the worker can be

medically cleared to use a respirator. Employers who have never before needed to

consider a respiratory protection plan should

note that it can take time to choose an appropriate respirator to provide to workers; arrange

for a qualified trainer; and provide training, fit

testing and medical evaluation for their workers.

If employers wait until an influenza pandemic

occurs, they may be unable to implement an

adequate respiratory protection program in a

timely manner.

Surgical Masks

Surgical masks are used as a physical barrier

to protect the user from hazards, such as

splashes of large droplets of blood or body

fluids.

Surgical masks also protect other people

against infection from the person wearing

the surgical mask. Such masks trap large particles of body fluids that may contain bacteria

or viruses expelled by the wearer.

Surgical masks are used for several different

purposes, including the following:

• Placed on sick people to limit the spread of

infectious respiratory secretions to others.

This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or

standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of

compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer toTitle 29 of the Code of Federal

Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.

The voice phone is (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.

DSG 5/2009

• Worn by healthcare providers to prevent accidental contamination of patients’ wounds

by the organisms normally present in mucus

and saliva.

• Worn by workers to protect themselves

from splashes or sprays of blood or bodily

fluids; they may also keep contaminated fingers/hands away from the mouth and nose.

Surgical masks are not designed or certified

to prevent the inhalation of small airborne

contaminants. These particles are not visible

to the naked eye but may still be capable of

causing infection. Surgical masks are not designed to seal tightly against the user’s face.

During inhalation, much of the potentially

contaminated air can pass through gaps between the face and the surgical mask and not

be pulled through the filter material of the

mask. Their ability to filter small particles

varies significantly based upon the type of

material used to make the surgical mask, so

they cannot be relied upon to protect workers

against airborne infectious agents. Only surgical masks that are cleared by the U.S. Food

and Drug Administration to be legally marketed in the United States have been tested

for their ability to resist blood and body fluids.

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

(800) 321-OSHA

For more complete information: