So the fiery Indo haze makes her annual visit, full of intent and determination this time. Government told us to wear The N95 mask and left us to fight it out ourselves, for a while at least. When brick and mortar pharmacies run dry, online shops suddenly pop up instantaneousy with mysterious suppliers providing all kind of N95 masks. Wheezing Singaporeans gratefully fill their carts but do we really know what we are carting off?
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Official page with vital info about identifying certified N95 masks:
All NIOSH-Approved N95 masks that have been tested and certified are listed here.
Check here before buying any masks:
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Are the masks really "N95 Approved"?
I was googling N95 out of curiosity last night and chanced on the official website. A bit of reading soon turned into a very long night when I took a look at the masks people were buying. What I found shocked me. I checked ten popular online deals and it wasn't just one or two but all ten which turned out to be not what they said they were. The complete list and details are further below where I'll try my best to lay out the facts. Some examples here.
- http://superdeals.insing.com/deals/singapore/LAIANZHI-N95-Mask/12681
- http://superdeals.insing.com/deals/singapore/N95-Mask/12660
- http://www.deal.com.sg/deals/singapore/fight-haze-20-pieces-n95-masks-now-available-only-36-choice-size-m-or-l-delivery
- http://www.deal.com.sg/deals/singapore/immediate-redemption-protect-yourself-haze-branded-prosafe-n95-particulate-respi
Our dear government told you to wear N95 masks but did they tell you what N95 is?
N95 is one of seven ratings for NIOSH-approved masks.
Others are N99, N100, R95, P95, P99 and P100 for the win.
N95 - Filters at least 95% of airborne particles. Not resistant to oil.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/default.html
What's NIOSH then? (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
It's part of the US CDC federal agency... health... safety.. standards.. you get the idea.
** Essentially, the N95 rating is created and regulated by NIOSH and dutifully followed by The Rest of The World. Ok, Singapore at least.
With that made clear, there's no such thing as "N95 Approved". The correct term is NIOSH-approved N95 respirator or mask. Remember this little detail well...
So what's with all these dubious online deals?
Well, they failed.
NIOSH states that all approved masks are required to have the following markings:
- Name, e.g. 3M
- NIOSH in block letters or the NIOSH logo
- NIOSH Testing and Certification approval number, e.g. TC-84A-XXXX.
- NIOSH filter series and filter efficiency level, e.g. N95, N99 etc.
- Model Number or part number: e.g. 8210.
Optional: NIOSH recommends the lot number and/or date of manufacture also be included, however, this is not required.
The real 3M 8210 N95 masks that I've checked so far do have the lot number printed on the mask.
**********************************************************
**********************************************************
Official page with vital info about identifying certified N95 masks:
All NIOSH-Approved N95 masks that have been tested and certified are listed here.
Check here before buying any masks:
**********************************************************
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"I spent $300 on 'N95 Approved' masks from a reputable deal website but can't find it here!"
Yes, you've been suckered.
Most prob. You can write to NIOSH to check, demand a refund or make a police report. Why let them get away with it?
Don't buy your N95 mask/respirator from that website!
Based on what you now know, look at those deals again and decide for yourself if you've been duped in a potentially life endangering scam.
- The first tell-tale sign of a dodgy deal are the words "N95 Approved". They appear in most of the dodgy deals description. Can you possibly get approved by a rating? Once you've read the NIOSH classification you will know that the words "N95 Approved" doesn't make linguistic nor logical sense. If you are still not convinced, do a search on the NIOSH website and see how many times the terms "N95 Approved" and "NIOSH-Approved" each appears.
- However, I've seen images of authentic looking 3M boxes of the 8210 N95 mask with different variations of "N95 Approved" printed on red stickers and sold by your regular retail shops. Sounds safe? I really hope they are real, but why put an approval sticker as an afterthought? Shouldn't it be pre-approved and printed on the box during the manufacturing process?
- The second sign is the glaring ommision of the company name and product model on the website's description. How on earth would you know what you are buying to protect your lungs??
- Poor, makeshift looking product or marketing pictures.
- Last and most importantly, a lack of information on the mask itself as mentioned
- Name, e.g. 3M
- NIOSH in block letters or the NIOSH logo
- NIOSH Testing and Certification (TC) approval number, e.g. TC-84A-XXXX.
- NIOSH filter series and filter efficiency level, e.g. N95, N99 etc.
- Model Number or part number: e.g. 8210.
There are cases where a mask is masquerading (haha) under a legit TC code but which belongs to a different product and company, and another example I found on amazon.com where the NIOSH approval had already been revoked.
http://www.amazon.com/MCR-Safety-CRPN951W20-Particulate-Respirator/dp/B001QCXVCA
List of revoked approvals here:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/topics/respirators/disp_part/RespSource2RevokedTable.html
- I know where the fake stuff are from; you know where the fake stuff are from. So if you see anything that seems to be from there, it should be best to play it safe.
More on the dodgy deals
Not found in the NIOSH-Approved list; Incomplete markings on the mask
- http://superdeals.insing.com/deals/singapore/LAIANZHI-N95-Mask/12681
- http://plus.bigdeal.sg/N95-Approved-Particulate-Respirator-Face-Mask.html
- http://www.deal.com.sg/deals/singapore/fight-haze-20-pieces-n95-masks-now-available-only-36-choice-size-m-or-l-delivery
- http://www.deal.com.sg/deals/singapore/immediate-redemption-fight-haze-20-pieces-n95-masks-now-available-only-36-free-s
- http://www.voucherwow.com/cities/singapore/deals/a-box-of-n95-masks/
Quoted an approval TC that belongs to another company's product
Not found in the NIOSH-Approved list; Claims to be approved by MOH!! the cheek of it.
- http://www.ilovedeals.sg/products/24813-immediate-redemption-protect-yourself-from-the-haze-with-the-branded-prosafe-n95-particulate-respirator-mask-for-only-60-for-1-box-of-20-masks-approved-by-moh
- http://www.deal.com.sg/deals/singapore/immediate-redemption-protect-yourself-haze-branded-prosafe-n95-particulate-respi
No model number; no TC code; Details blurred out
None 3M wearing instructions; dodgy; dodgy; dodgy; from you-know-where
Where can I buy real N95 rated masks online?
I don't know.
Maybe this site:
They sell masks. It's run by Walgreens, the largest drug retailing chain in US which does give it a bit of credibility but I read somewhere that delivery may take a while.
Or NTUC Health:
http://www.ntuchealth.com.sg/wholesales/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=29868
But most certainly, those who engage in profiteering in times of need and sell dubious safety equipment without conducting basic due dilligence should be punished and stopped from further mis-selling!
In Feb 2012, Singapore signed an MOU with NIOSH. Amongst the plan was to:
- Share and exchange occupational safety and health related information resources
- Promote the dissemination of information in the area of occupational safety and health via all types of media
Yet, if we step back to the PSI 400 moment.. has that really been done?
*Article first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/notes/toh-yi-jie/why-you-shouldnt-buy-your-n95-...
Editor's Note: We have not verified with each of these outlets whether or not the masks being sold are indeed NIOSH approved. However we post this as an informative piece so that the public will be better equipped to verify their masks themselves.