Shop disposable masks and respirators
Disposable masks and respirators have become hard to source with the rise of COVID-19. Our team at Levitt-Safety is working with leading manufacturers to provide a reliable source of good disposable masks and respirators on our online store.
Barrier Masks:
There is no standard that barrier masks must meet in North America, so they come in a variety of layered materials and filtration effectiveness.
At Levitt-Safety, we are following Public Health recommendations and only offer masks that come with three or more layers.
The outer layer and inner layer will generally be made from spunbound polypropylene, which provides droplet protection and mask structure. The middle layer should be made from a meltblown polypropylene material to offer protection from aerosols.
3-Ply Disposable Barrier Mask:
- Mask is constructed with a multi-ply design and features a meltblown polypropylene filter
- Metal nose bar forms mask to your face
- 95% bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE)
Surgical Masks:
Unlike barrier masks which do not need to meet a minimum standard in North America, surgical masks must adhere to the requirements laid out in the ASTM F2100 guidelines.
The latest ASTM F2100 specifies the performance requirements for medical face masks with five criteria:
- Bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE): BFE measures bacterial filtration efficiency of medical face masks using Staphylococcus aureus as the challenge organism. The standard specifies S. aureus because it’s the leading cause of hospital infections.
- Particulate filtration efficiency (PFE): PFE evaluates how well the mask filters particles at a sub-micro level.
- Fluid resistance: Fluid resistance measures how well the mask limits fluid transfer from its outer layers to inner layers. A level 3 mask will provide a higher level of fluid transfer resistance compared to a level 1 mask.
- Pressure differential (Delta P): Delta P is an objective breathability test which measures the air flow resistance of a mask.
- Flame resistance: Surgical masks must withstand exposure to a burning flame for three seconds from a specific distance.
Additional ISO certification: Surgical face masks are tested for skin sensitivity and cytotoxicity to the international standard ISO 10993. These tests ensure the masks do not contain materials harmful to the wearer.
3-Ply Disposable Level 2 Medical Mask:
- 99% bacterial filtration efficiency (BFE)
- Particulate filtration efficiency (PFE) 0.1 micron: > 99%
- Meltblown polypropylene filter
- Low breathing resistance for optimal comfort
Disposable Respirators (NIOSH-Approved):
Disposable respirators, like N95s, are designed to be tight-fitting to protect the wearer from microscopic airborne particles.
In Canada, we generally try to follow the standards set out by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and look to the selection, use and care of respirators as outlined in CSA Z94.4.
Particulate respirators come in nine classes of filters.
There are three levels of filter efficiency and each level has three categories of resistance to filter efficiency degradation.
- N-series masks (N95, N99 N100 | Not approved for oil mist atmospheres).
- R-series masks (R95, R99, R100 | Approved for oil mist atmospheres up to 8 hours).
- P-series masks (P95, P99, P100 | Approved for oil mist atmospheres).
How Levitt-Safety can help
Disposable face masks and respirators have become a common discussion topic since the beginning of COVID-19.
Our team at Levitt-Safety is closely following the updates from the Public Health Agency of Canada to ensure we are providing the best products to provide the highest level of safety.
Most of our products can be purchased online by clicking the start shopping online button below. If you have questions or would like product recommendations for your specific application, our team is here to help. To get started, fill out the form on this page and a member of our team will reach out.