Respiratory Protection
Types of Respirators and Masks | Hazards in the Air |
N95 Respirators |
Reusable Respirators
Respiratory protection is essential for keeping workers and the public safe from harmful substances in the air, such as infectious diseases like COVID-19 or flu, wildfire smoke, and air pollution. Every day, millions of people encounter these kinds of hazards at home and at work, which can lead to serious health problems. Learn more below about how respirators can help protect you from these hazards.
Types of Respirators and Masks
Hazards in the Air
N95 Respirators
How to Wear a Respirator
The following graphic shows the steps to properly put on a respirator (also known as “donning”).
How to use your N95 Respirator 1-pager |
English (PDF. 1MB) | Spanish (PDF, 1 MB)
The following video goes over how to properly put on and take off a mask.
Common Mistakes
- Not adjusting the nose piece
- Wearing head straps incorrectly
- Wearing the mask upside down
Safe Reuse
While it is generally recommended that you should only wear a respirator once, there may be certain situations where you reuse a respirator. The 3 D's tell you when it is time to stop using a respirator:
When to use your Respirator
A respirator can protect you against:
Where to Purchase a Respirator
You can buy high-quality respirators such as N95s at places like hardware and home improvement stores, pharmacies, or manufacturers' websites.
Reusable Respirators
N95s protect against many hazards, but there are some types of hazards that they don’t protect against. When working around chemicals that N95s don’t protect against, reusable respirators, also called elastomeric respirators, should be used. Reusable respirators have different types of replaceable cartridges (filters) for different hazards.
Visit the
Reusable Respirator Page for more information about reusable respirators.