Intertek Awarded Multi-Year Contract with NIOSH for Testing Post-Market N95 Respirators

Intertek, a Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, is pleased to announce it has won a multi-year contract with the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for testing post-market N95 respirators. The three-year contract expands on NIOSH's existing agreement with Intertek to conduct precertification evaluations on new respirators. The Company will now assess: respirators on the market that have exceeded their original shelf life; respirators entering the United States from a foreign country and claiming to meet non-NIOSH standards; and previously used respirators that have been decontaminated and are entering the market again.

N95 respirators reduce a wearer's exposure to particles, filtering out at least 95 per cent of very small particles, including bacteria and viruses. They must be evaluated and approved by NIOSH according to requirements set forth in NIOSH 42 CFR Part 84. Under this regulation, manufacturers must submit data which illustrates compliance, including precertification tests such as inhalation/exhalation resistance, particulate filtration efficiency, and valve leakage. Intertek will conduct the precertification testing on post-market respirators, providing manufacturers with the necessary data for their NIOSH submission and approval.

Jason Allen, Technical Lead at Intertek said, "Intertek's purpose is to bring quality and safety to life, and ensuring the quality and safety of N95 respirators has never been more important as the world continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thrilled to use our experience in testing N95 respirators and other personal protective equipment to help NIOSH and respirator manufacturers get these essential and potentially life-saving products to market."

Intertek provides rigorous evaluations and expansive testing capabilities to deliver assurance that, even under the most stressful or hazardous conditions, personal protective equipment will provide sustained protection. The company's industry-leading PPE testing services yield third-party test reports accepted by the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) for a wide array of standards, assuring customers that a product meets performance and industry requirements. For more, visit: http://www.intertek.com/life-safety/ppe/.

ABOUT INTERTEK

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Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 46,000 people in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers' operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

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