COVID-19: Collection, Disinfection and Storage Processes for Single-Use N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators

Refer to the ministerial directive before applying the recommendations (in French only).

The elements covered are based on the latest information available at the time of writing. Given that the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the authorizations issued by Health Canada for the new technologies for disinfecting N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are evolving, the recommendations in this document are subject to change. Health care facilities must therefore verify that the technologies, at the time of their use, are still authorized by Health Canada under the Interim Order for COVID-19 (Health Canada, 2021a).

This document is intended for managers and clinical personnel involved in medical device reprocessing (MDR).

Its purpose is to describe the guidelines to be followed for the overall process of collecting, disinfecting and storing single-use N95 FFRs in order to:

  • Ensure the safety of personnel.
  • Ensure compliance with and implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures associated with disinfection activities.
  • Ensure compliance with the disinfection procedures for used N95 FFRs as per the manufacturer's instructions for the technologies chosen to perform the disinfection.
  • Standardize the process for disinfecting used N95 FFRs.