The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) and its members, leading manufacturers of safety equipment and technologies, applaud the CDC’s updated guidelines, which recognize scientific findings that N95 respirators offer superior respiratory protection over non-regulated mask products.
ISEA cautions that “KN95” respirators entering the U.S. from China have unreliable quality and do not meet the NIOSH standards. NIOSH-approved N95 respirators are the gold standard backed and produced by U.S. companies.
The supply of NIOSH-approved N95 respirators is significantly increased, thanks in part to the federal government’s investment in U.S. respirator manufacturing to help prevent shortages of safety equipment used to help protect Americans in a health emergency. U.S. safety equipment manufacturers are ready to help meet the public demand for N95 respirators if the Biden Administration recommends all Americans wear these NIOSH-approved respirators to protect themselves against COVID-19 variants.
Please contact Nicole Randall at nrandall@safetyequipment.org with questions.
About ISEA
The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) is the trade association for personal protective equipment and technologies. Its member companies, united in the goal of protecting the health and safety of workers worldwide, are global leaders in the design, manufacture, testing, and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE), which protects more than 111 million workers across the U.S. Since 1933, ISEA has been a recognized leader in the development of ANSI-accredited safety equipment standards, in the United States and around the world. ISEA works with Congress and government agencies to consult with policymakers whose decisions affect the industry.
Nationwide, the safety equipment industry supports 345,001 total jobs and generates more than $71.6 billion in economic activity. In 2020, the safety equipment industry paid $5 billion in federal taxes and nearly $4 billion in state taxes, for a total tax generation of $9 billion. For more information visit safetyequipment.org.
