NPPTL COVID-19 Response: Beyond Shelf Life/Stockpiled Respirator Assessment

Manufacturer: Safe Life

Model Tested: B130 (LOT # 100923) and B150 (LOT # 100915)

Date Tested: April 11, 2020 (B150) and April 12, 2020 (B130)

Report Prepared: April 12, 2020

These findings pertain to the Safe Life B130 and B150 units from the facility in Kirtland AFB, New 

Mexico. They may not be applicable to other stockpile facilities and/or under different environmental 

storage conditions. No shelf life was designated for these models by the previously held NIOSH 

approval holder.

All tested samples passed the NIOSH filtration efficiency testing as indicated in the table below. 

Based on the filtration results provided in this report, and under the circumstances regarding the 

shortage of NIOSH-approved respirators for the COVID-19 response, it is reasonable to assume that 

these products may perform as intended. NIOSH supports any requests the US Air Force makes to the 

FDA regarding the Safe Life B130 and Safe Life B150 inclusion in an FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

Based on prior research conducted by NIOSH and the limited testing results provided here, NIOSH does

not have enough information to definitively know the level of protection that may be provided by 

respirators that 1) are stored for prolonged periods of time; 2) are stored under various storage 

conditions; or 3) have exceeded the approval holder’s designated shelf life. Users of respirators that 

have exceeded the designated shelf life should be forewarned to avoid a false sense of confidence; 

these devices may not provide the same level of protection as those that have not exceeded the 

designated shelf life.

NIOSH regulation sets the minimum quality and performance requirements for the approval of 

respirators (42 CFR 84). NIOSH does not have requirements for shelf life or storage conditions for 

particulate-only air purifying respirators (APRs). The approval holder (i.e. the entity that is granted the 

approval from NIOSH) is responsible for understanding how their products’ design or performance may 

be affected by various use or storage conditions and must provide instruction for establishing the 

proper use, storage, and maintenance procedures for their approved products, which may include 

designating a shelf life. FFR or particulate filter packaging (such as the box) often includes NIOSHapproved user instructions, label information, and recommendations on shelf life. Additionally, some 

approval holders also disseminate recommendations related to storage and shelf life through 

resources such as user and web notices. The respirators tested in this study were generally not 

designed for long-term storage. 

The results provided in this letter are specific to the subset of previously NIOSH-approved N95s that 

were provided to NPPTL for evaluation.

These results will be added to the CDC guidance for Stockpiled N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators 

Beyond the Manufacturer-Designated Shelf Life.
NPPTL COVID-19 Response: Beyond Shelf Life/Stockpiled Respirator Assessment

Evaluation of Stockpiled and Beyond

Manufacturer-Designated Shelf Life 95s

Test: TEB-APR-STP-0059

Date Tested: April 11, 2020

Report Prepared: April 12, 2020

Manufacturer: Safe Life

Item Tested: B150 N95 RESPIRATOR & SURGICAL MASK LOT # 100915

Expiration Date: Not Provided Manufacture Date: Not Provided

Respirator Flow Rate

Lpm

Initial Filter 

Resistance

(mm H2O)

Initial 

Penetration

(%)

Maximum 

Penetration

(%)

Filter Efficiency

1

85 22.4 0.742 0.742 99.26

2

85 21.0 1.02 1.02 98.98

3

85 16.7 0.472 0.472 99.53

4

85 20.6 0.788 0.833 99.17

5

85 19.1 0.733 0.733 99.27

6

85 18.5 0.770 0.770 99.23

7

85 19.3 0.746 0.746 99.25

8

85 18.6 0.765 0.765 99.23

9

85 18.8 0.647 0.647 99.35

10 85 18.4 0.853 0.853 99.15

11 85 21.4 0.868 0.868 99.13

12 85 18.1 1.17 1.17 98.83

13 85 19.5 0.828 0.828 99.17

14 85 20.4 1.08 1.08 98.92

15 85 19.8 0.765 0.765 99.23

16 85 19.5 0.872 0.872 99.13

17 85 23.7 0.871 0.871 99.13

18 85 21.8 0.935 0.954 99.05

19 85 21.2 0.954 0.954 99.05

20 85 17.5 0.762 0.762 99.24

Pictures have been added to the 

end of this report.
NPPTL COVID-19 Response: Beyond Shelf Life/Stockpiled Respirator Assessment

Evaluation of Stockpiled and Beyond

Manufacturer-Designated Shelf Life 95s

Test: TEB-APR-STP-0059

Date Tested: April 12, 2020

Report Prepared: April 12, 2020

Manufacturer: Safe Life

Item Tested: B130 N95 RESPIRATOR & SURGICAL MASK LOT # 100923

Expiration Date: Not Provided Manufacture Date: Not Provided

Respirator Flow Rate

Lpm

Initial Filter 

Resistance

(mm H2O)

Initial 

Penetration

(%)

Maximum 

Penetration

(%)

Filter Efficiency

1

85 13.3 0.407 0.407 99.59

2

85 14.1 0.473 0.473 99.53

3

85 13.2 0.376 0.376 99.62

4

85 15.2 0.464 0.464 99.54

5

85 15.3 0.638 0.638 99.36

6

85 15.8 0.564 0.564 99.44

7

85 10.7 0.345 0.345 99.66

8

85 13.1 0.635 0.635 99.36

9

85 13.2 0.472 0.472 99.53

10 85 13.9 0.474 0.474 99.53

11 85 12.7 0.360 0.360 99.64

12 85 14.1 0.553 0.553 99.45

13 85 14.8 0.627 0.627 99.37

14 85 14.3 0.575 0.575 99.42

15 85 16.3 0.525 0.525 99.47

16 85 13.2 0.734 0.734 99.27

17 85 13.1 0.401 0.401 99.60

18 85 14.8 0.436 0.436 99.56

19 85 12.8 0.610 0.610 99.39

20 85 13.3 0.350 0.350 99.65

Pictures have been added to the 

end of this report.
NPPTL COVID-19 Response: Beyond Shelf Life/Stockpiled Respirator Assessment
NPPTL COVID-19 Response: Beyond Shelf Life/Stockpiled Respirator Assessment
NPPTL COVID-19 Response: Beyond Shelf Life/Stockpiled Respirator Assessment
NPPTL COVID-19 Response: Beyond Shelf Life/Stockpiled Respirator Assessment
NPPTL COVID-19 Response: Beyond Shelf Life/Stockpiled Respirator Assessment