®

PPE CASE Notes 

Personal Protective Equipment Conformity Assessment Studies and Evaluations Notes 

Verifying Shelf Life for NIOSH Approved® 

Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFRs)

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) performs point-of-use (i.e., 

field location) conformity assessment studies. In a recent study, NIOSH noted numerous challenges 

that the PPE community experiences when trying to locate FFR shelf life information. NIOSH 

does not currently require approval holders to designate a shelf life for FFRs, deferring to 

approval holders to establish shelf life recommendations for their specific product. 

If you are unable 

to determine a 

respirator’s shelf 

life, contact the 

approval holder 

or private label 

entity with the 

approval number 

(e.g., TC-84A-XXXX), 

model/part number, 

and lot number. 

Contact information 

for approval holders 

may be found 

on the approval 

label and on 

NIOSH’s Certified

Equipment List. 

ISSUES 

• Shelf life information may not be included with product materials or may be difcult

for users to fnd.

• Shelf life recommendations are communicated to respirator users at the approval holder’s

discretion. Approval holders may use a variety of communication pathways to convey

this information such as the product package, user instructions, or on a website.

• Without a shelf life recommendation, Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) and

stockpile managers lack certainty about when a product should no longer be used.

WHAT TO DO WHEN SHELF LIFE ISN’T ON THE PACKAGING 

OR USER INSTRUCTIONS 

• Find the approval number (TC-84A-XXXX), model/part number, and lot number on

one of the respirator units, the product packaging, or the approval label included on or in the packaging.

• Review the approval label to identify the name and contact information of the approval holder or private label

entity.1 Contact the approval holder or private label entity with the approval number, model/part number, and lot

number to inquire about the product’s shelf life.

ACTIONS TO TAKE TO SUPPORT SHELF LIFE RECOMMENDATIONS 

• Once determined, shelf life information should be incorporated into RPPs, stockpile documentation,

or other procedures.

• RPPs should include a process that ensures FFRs are used prior to meeting their shelf life (or the shelf life

selected by the RPP manager following consultation with the approval holder when a shelf life is not designated).

Tis process can include the use of a “frst-in, frst-out” approach, where respirators purchased frst are used frst

to minimize the number of respirators in stock reaching or exceeding their shelf life.

• Stockpile managers should clearly mark pallets, cases, or other containers with the date by which the products

should be removed from the stockpile.

• Regardless of shelf life information, replace the FFR when damaged, soiled, wet, or difcult to breathe through,

in accordance with the OSHA 1910.134 respiratory protection standard.

• Include a shelf life requirement during the procurement process as a purchase specifcation.

1 Te approval label may indicate the involvement of a private label entity (See Special Cautions and Limitations, Section S, 

and the user instructions). 

NIOSH Approved is a certifcation mark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) registered in the United States and several international jurisdictions. 

Get More Information 

Find NIOSH products and get answers to workplace safety and health questions: 

1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) | TTY: 1-888-232-6348 

CDC/NIOSH INFO: cdc.gov/info | cdc.gov/niosh 

Monthly NIOSH eNews: cdc.gov/niosh/eNews 

DOI link: https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2023128 

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2023-128 

March 2023