Hi everyone,

Apologies in advance if this has been covered somewhere before but cannot find any related posts.

As an organisation we have decided to provide our staff with Type IIR disposable face masks and to begin with 99% were happy with this choice. Our concern before purchasing them was the fact that they were dispoable and the environmental impact considering how many staff we have and how many masks they would get through on a weekly basis. However safety took precedence and we went ahead and purchased them. Fast forward 8-10 weeks and we are inundated with staff asking can they not use reusable type IIR face masks instead. 

Our current suppllier has told us that technically speaking there is no such thing as a reusable type IIR face mask. However an alternative supplier has said that there are and after questioning whether or not they met British standards EN 14683 even updated the link to their product to reflect this (does there lie the clue answering my own question?).

I guess the question I'm asking is is there such a thing as a reusable Type IIR face mask that meets EN 14683? To date I've not found definitive evidence that they exist but I stand to be corrected. 

Am I correct in saying that meeting the crietria for EN 14683 not only relates to the product itself but also to the manufacturer's procedures and processes they follow in their design and may be thats what the other supplier is referring to in order to get an order through the door?

A bit confused with the amount of information out there so any help greatly appreciated?

BS EN 14683 is the "PPE" standard for masks under the Medical Products Directive.

Its scope reads: This document specifies construction, design, performance requirements and test methods for medical face masks intended to limit the transmission of infective agents from staff to patients during surgical procedures and other medical settings with similar requirements. A medical face mask with an appropriate microbial barrier can also be effective in reducing the emission of infective agents from the nose and mouth of an asymptomatic carrier or a patient with clinical symptoms. This European Standard is not applicable to masks intended exclusively for the personal protection of staff. NOTE 1 Standards for masks for use as respiratory personal protective equipment are available.

Nice to see your staff consider they should be able to divert supplies from those working in close contact with potential carriers such as paramedics, doctors, nurses etc....

Your use as a general protection falls outside the scope of the standard and is why the guidance on face coverings was NOT to supply RPE or medical masks where there is no workplace risk necessitating their use.

Hi,

We work quite a lot with members of the public and with schools in terms of community and social development so from time to time there are occasions where a high quality level of protection is needed. Obviously our RA highlights and limits these scenarios as much as possible but we still wish to err on the side of caution hence why I was asking the question. 

There no doubt will come a time where it hopefully will be possible to downgrade but for now we want to stick with Type IIR if we can just ascertain whether or not they exist in reusable form.

Think you have this back to front as the standard describes a mask to protect others from the wearer ergo the level of protection would not alter.

Any attempts at re-use would depend upon the cleaning method employed and its effect upon the materials of construction. There are items on the internet making claims of being washable - those same web sites dont display either the test certificate for the product nor make available any meaningful (cleaning) instructions for use e.g. with / without detergent, which type of detergent, limitations on spin speed, drying method.

Plenty of re-usable face coverings on the market - some have even been approved to CEN WORKSHOP AGREEMENT CWA 17553 June 2020 Community face coverings - Guide to minimum requirements, methods of testing and use