Transition from Non-Approved Disposable Respirators: FDA

FDA is recommending that healthcare facilities and personnel transition away from crisis capacity conservation strategies such as using non-NIOSH-approved disposal respirators. An agency notice says the recommendation was made in follow-up to a 4/9 letter in which it recommended a transition away from decontamination or bioburden-reduction systems for cleaning and disinfecting disposable respirators that were being reused by healthcare personnel.

“Based on the increased domestic supply of new respirators approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and consistent with CDC’s updated recommendations, FDA believes healthcare personnel and facilities can transition away from using non-NIOSH-approved respirators and from utilizing decontamination and bioburden reduction systems,” the notice says.