Powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) are battery-powered devices that use a blower to provide clean, breathable air to the wearer. Associated products include blowers, breathing tubes, belts, batteries, chargers, filters, air flow indicators, hoods/helmets, or facepieces. The blower unit passes ambient air through a filter before delivering it to the wearer’s headgear or facepiece of choice. Blower units are typically offered as face-mounted, helmet-mounted, or belt-mounted configurations and enable workers to move freely and unrestricted.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), PAPRs are recommended for concentrations of hazardous particulates or gases that are greater than the relevant occupational exposure limit but are less than the immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) level and the manufacturer's maximum-use concentration (subject to the respirator having a sufficient assigned protection factor). PAPRs provide an assigned protection factor (APF) between 25 and 1,000 depending on the type, and can be used in a variety of working environments, including healthcare, laboratory, welding, heavy industry, grinding, sanding, manufacturing, painting, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) environments. PAPR systems may consist of the following components:

• Tight-fitting, half or full facepiece, loose-fitting facepiece, hood, or helmet. Loose-fitting PAPRs do not require fit testing and can be worn easily by workers with facial hair. Fit testing is required for tight-fitting facepieces.
• Powered blower unit. NIOSH-approved PAPRs are required to deliver 6 to 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of air for loose-fitting hoods and helmets and 4 to 15 cfm of air for tight-fitting masks and facepieces.
• Filter(s) and/or cartridges. Type may vary to protect against particulates, toxic gases or vapors, or a combination of both.
• Battery(ies). May be rechargeable or non-rechargeable.

PAPR systems are complete, ready-to-use kits equipped with a blower, breathing tube, belt, battery, charger, filter cover, air flow indicator, and hood/helmet or facepiece, depending on the environment.

PAPR assemblies are partial systems that include components required to build a full system or to replace worn parts on an existing PAPR system. They are designed to be compatible with hoods or helmets and tight-fitting facepieces. System parts are compatible with components of the same brand and series.

Regulatory compliance details for PAPR devices are available at the individual product level.