Understanding Respiratory Protection and Face Coverings

This guide, developed by the National Occupational Research Agenda Manufacturing Sector Council’s COVID Workgroup, can help small businesses understand the difference between face coverings and respirators as part of deploying a respiratory protection program. This document explains the differences between surgical masks and N95 respirators, such as their intended use, filtration capabilities, and use limitations. This information may be helpful for businesses in their efforts to mitigate COVID-19 infections in the workplace.