Cal-OSHA Reporter's Jan. 4 flash report about the recall of 3M 8000 respirators made reference to the "8000 series." That term has triggered a deluge of questions to Cal/OSHA about whether other 3M respirators are affected by the recall, which was ordered when health-care employers reported an unacceptably high failure rate during fit tests.
For instance, Craig Brown, senior industrial hygienist for the VHA Center for Engineering & Occupational Safety and Health in Pittsburgh, Pa., notes that there are several sub-series of the 3M 8000 N95 respirators with different face molds, such as 8210, 8211, 8511, 8612, 8670 and more.
The only respirators that have been recalled are the 8000s, says DOSH Senior Safety Engineer Deborah Gold. "Other N95 respirators are not affected by the alert," she says.
Source: Cal-OSHA.com