Voluntary N95 use vs a respirator program
Where handing out masks stops and a program with fit testing starts, state by state.
On most smoke days respirators are offered, not required, and voluntary use is carved out from nearly all of the respiratory protection standard. Once use becomes mandatory, the full program arrives: written program, medical evaluation, fit testing, and training. The tier where that switch happens differs sharply by state, and Washington adds a middle step where you must hand out respirators while use is still voluntary.
Takeaways
- Tell the difference between availability, distribution, and required use.
- Say at which number each state switches to a full program.
- Know what a full program actually costs you in steps.
- Avoid triggering a program obligation you do not have.
Three states of respirator obligation
Where each state switches
What voluntary use still requires
What a full program adds
Recording which tier the day hit
Frequently asked questions
- If I hand out N95s at PM2.5 250.5 in Washington, do I need fit testing? No. At 250.5 the obligation is distribution, and use remains voluntary, so the full program is not triggered. Required use in Washington starts at 500.4.
- Does an N95 satisfy every required-use tier? No. Washington 555 tier requires an assigned protection factor of 25 or greater, and a filtering facepiece N95 provides 10. That tier needs a half-mask elastomeric with P100 cartridges or a powered air-purifying respirator.
- Can an employee refuse a respirator when use is required? When use is required, wearing it is a condition of doing that work. That is a reason to be deliberate about when you require use rather than merely offer it.
- Do surgical masks or cloth masks count? No. The rules call for NIOSH-approved respirators. A surgical or cloth mask is not NIOSH-approved and does not provide the filtration these tiers assume.