OSHA issues COVID-19 respirator decontamination guidance

The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration Friday issued interim guidance on the reuse and decontamination of N95 and other filtering-facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency, via this enforcement memorandum, outlined a host of methods for decontaminating respirators, including vaporous hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation and moist heat (e.g., using water heated in an oven).

Alternately, if such methods are not available, OSHA said that microwave-generated steam and liquid hydrogen peroxide are suitable decontamination options.

The guidance indicates that OSHA will, on a case-by-case basis, exercise enforcement discretion related to the reuse of decontaminated respirators consistent with the conditions outlined in this interim enforcement guidance.