Seattle, WA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/06/2021 -- On April 23rd, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally recognized the only national standard for reusable fabric face masks: ASTM F3502-21. One week later, Seattle-based Puraka Masks became the first company in the state of Washington to make F3502-compliant masks available to the public.

As one of just a handful of US companies making reusable face masks prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at Puraka leveraged their experience in wildfire smoke masks to help develop the new standard. Co-founder Aaron Ansel, a compliance attorney who left his job at Amazon in 2020 to run Puraka full time, explains, "when we heard that (standards organization) ASTM had partnered with the CDC's NIOSH division on a specification for fabric face masks, we immediately joined in the effort. Because the United States was so late in producing a standard, we could use lessons from standards developed in other countries to help make sure the U.S. requirements reflected international best practices."

In order to qualify as F3502-compliant, Puraka's masks had to pass a series of rigorous laboratory tests. "We were honestly surprised at how hard it was to satisfy the test requirements," said Andrew Enke, a mechanical engineer and company co-founder. "Our masks had to meet the filtration thresholds, but they also had to be more breathable than medical respirators. Striking the right balance between filtration and breathability is harder than you would think."

Fortunately for the company, and for its customers, Puraka's masks passed the tests. "Our Essential Masks exceeded the Level 1 requirements in both categories," said Ansel. "The masks qualify for the new standard even without an optional filter, but with the filter, the filtration efficiency increases to more than 98%, without having a big impact on breathability." Test results for the masks, most of which are made in the United States, are available on Puraka's website.

In addition to purchasing masks, companies can also sign up for Puraka's F3502 Workplace Mask Program. The program, developed in consultation with Human Resources and Employee Health and Safety managers, is designed to "Make Masks Easy" by handling mask distribution and compliance documentation for corporate clients. Coming just as OSHA is poised to require U.S. companies to supply employees with face coverings, Puraka is betting that office workers in particular are going to demand high quality masks from their employers. "Providing CDC-endorsed F3502 masks is an easy way to show your workforce that you're looking out for their health and safety," Enke says. "We hope to enable companies to set a high bar."

Media Contact:

Aaron Ansel
aansel@purakamasks.com
206-395-5776