Temporary Storage: N95 Respirators may be removed and stored for short times only (e.g., when the employee goes on break) as long as the respirator is removed correctly and stored in a way that doesn’t contaminate surfaces or the inside of the facepiece (e.g., in a clean paper bag labeled with the employees’ name, date, and “front” or “back” to consistently situate the mask inside the bag).
If a worker must re-use their respirator during their shift, they may store it in a bag, as described above, or on a hook designated for their own use at their individual workstation.
Replacement: Users must discard and replace their respirator when it’s damaged, visibly soiled, deformed, and according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Cleaning or disinfecting an N95 or other filtering facepiece respirator is not currently permitted.
Personal air purifying respirators (PAPR) must be cleaned and disinfected between each user and at the end of each work shift. They may not be used if damaged; any damaged parts must be repaired or replaced.