CDC/NIOSH, FBI Issue Warnings About Counterfeit Respirators

April 24, 2020

On April 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued warnings about fraudulent respirators and personal protective equipment (PPE) that have entered the supply chain.

The CDC/NIOSH warning notes that, “Counterfeit respirators are products that are falsely marketed and sold as being NIOSH-approved and may not be capable of providing appropriate respiratory protection to workers.” It also provides tips on how to identify a NIOSH-approved respirator, and signs to look for that indicate that a respirator may be counterfeit.

The FBI warning is specific “…to fraudulent sales solicitations of 3M PPE, or indicators of counterfeit 3M PPE, including N95 respirators.” It notes that 3M recommends only purchasing 3M respirators from U.S.-based 3M authorized distributors and provides tips for identifying fraudulent products.