Barrier Face Coverings

At a glance

  • Barrier Face Coverings (BFCs) provide source control and may protect you from breathing in particles.
  • BFCs are not respirators or surgical masks.
  • NIOSH provides a list of BFCs that meet the ASTM BFC standard.
  • NIOSH provides manufacturers recommendations for making enhanced BFCs.
Graphic of a barrier face covering

About

BFCs can be used to filter the air you breathe out, so you can protect others around you from your exhaled breath. In other words, they provide source control. Source control refers to the use of respirators or well-fitting facemasks to cover your mouth and nose to prevent the spread of respirator secretions when you talk, sneeze, or cough.

BFCs may also offer some particulate filtration that reduces the amount of particles you breathe in. BFCs only provide protection against particles; they do not protect you from gases or vapors.

Need

Unlike surgical masks and respirators, the masks worn by the general public to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases, like influenza and COVID-19, do not have to meet federal standards to confirm their performance. This lack of standardized testing left mask users without a way to compare face covering products to make informed decisions about which product to wear.

What NIOSH is doing

To address this need, ASTM International, with input from NIOSH, developed a BFC standard, .A This standard established a baseline for a source control device allowing for comparison between products.

NIOSH also provides performance recommendations for making enhanced BFCs, called Enhanced Performance and Enhanced Performance Plus BFCs. These BFCs provide a higher level of performance to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. They use enhanced particulate filtration, breathability, and leakage requirements.

Resource

This NIOSH Science Blog explains the filtration efficiency, breathability, re-use potential, and minimum leakage requirements BFCs must meet.

BFCs that meet the ASTM standard

NIOSH provides a list of BFCs and Enhanced Performance/Performance Plus Masks that meet the ASTM F3502 standard.

It is important to note that these products were not evaluated by NIOSH. Additionally, no BFCs, even enhanced BFCs, can replace NIOSH Approved® respirators within a workplace respiratory protection program. Further, the performance of BFCs for each person cannot be guaranteed as testing is specific to the BFC, not the individual wearer.

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Content Source:
; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
  1. The original standard was numbered F3502-21. The standard has been updated, and the current version is F3502-24.
  • NIOSH Approved is a certification mark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) registered in the United States and several international jurisdictions.