Employers got assurance from OSHA that they won’t be cited for violating respiratory protection rules if they reuse N95 respirators or take other measures as long as they adhere to CDC guidance.
N95 respirators have been in short supply since February as health-care providers and people concerned about their own well-being began using the respirators to avoid inhaling the new coronavirus.
The new Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance issued Friday applies to any employer whose workers are using N95 respirators—from hospitals to home builders. OSHA will withdraw the guidance once the public health crisis ends.
“If respiratory protection must ...