W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., February 17, 2021 / PRNewswire / – Today, global standards organization ASTM International adopted a new standard for barrier face masks that will help create the minimum design, performance, labeling and care requirements for reusable barrier face masks. The standard was developed by the ASTM committee on personal protective clothing and accessories (F23).
The new standard (F3502) is intended to apply to the general public and workers and includes specific requirements for barrier face masks including design and general construction criteria, particle filtration efficiency levels, test criteria size and fit, labeling instructions and instructions for cleaning and recommended periods of use.
“The committee members worked together to reach a consensus and address the gap that exists for barrier face masks that are neither a respirator nor a surgical mask,” he said. Kathie Morgan, President of ASTM International. “The standard helps compare products and will inform consumers when choosing face masks for their intended use.”
Numerous ASTM PPE standards are recognized internationally by the World Health Organization and in United States from health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The standard barrier face coverage is available at www.astm.org/COVID-19 along with 28 other COVID-related standards as part of ASTM International’s ongoing commitment to providing cost-free public access to important ASTM standards used in the manufacture and testing of personal protective equipment to combat public health emergencies. coronavirus.
ASTM International also issued a white technical paper entitled “Cooperation to advance the safety, quality and innovation of personal protective equipment (PPE)”. This information document identifies the current landscape for the development of EPP standards, including an overview of a recent workshop on the development of rapid tracking standards, the challenges faced by the quality and availability of EPP, and the challenges facing development. of standards.
Furthermore, the white paper describes the need for new and modified standards across infection control PPEs that seek to address the high priority gaps that ASTM and other SDOs may pursue.
Finally, the paper introduces a new global EPP collaboration platform that aims to address the challenges faced by EPPs and accelerate the development of standards.
The global collaboration platform is envisioned to bring together global EPP actors to strengthen communication and communication, partnership building, innovation and much more.
“With over 100 existing cooperation agreements with standard bodies worldwide, ASTM International is positioned to share knowledge, promote technical alignment and advance PPE production and innovation as we face COVID and public health challenges for the future.” concluded Morgan.
ASTM International will host an introductory webinar on the global platform at March 16, 2021. The webinar will include remarks by the President of ASTM Kathie Morgan among others. Stakeholders can Click here to register, or for more information when it becomes available.
To access the white technical paper, Click here.
About ASTM International
Committed to serving the global needs of society, ASTM International positively impacts public health and safety, consumer confidence and overall quality of life. We integrate consensus standards developed with our international membership of volunteer technical experts and innovative services to improve lives Helping our world work better.
Media searches:Dan Bergels, tel +1.610.832.9602; [email protected]
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