Do I have the right respirator? A new ÚNMZ leaflet will help consumers choose
Prague, 9 March 2021
A simple information leaflet with instructions on how to choose the right respirator has been prepared for consumers by the Office for Technical Standardization, Metrology and State Testing (ÚNMZ). The leaflet follows the demand and the recently published publication "A guide to the basics of personal protective equipment and medical devices regulation", which was welcomed by hospitals, social service providers, cities, municipalities and other entities.
The one-page material aims to guide the general public through the purchase of respirators in a clear way so that consumers purchase functional and safe respiratory protection products. Always, of course, with the necessary European certification to confirm the necessary quality and effectiveness.
"The recently published guide with about 70 pages was intended for moderately knowledgeable readers of the subject. We have received suggestions and requests from many parties to create as concise and clear a manual as possible for the general public who are lost in the details and do not know what to look for when buying a respirator and what parameters to check. Thus, the idea of a one-page graphic manual with a brief but clear summary of all the important information was born." says Viktor Pokorný, chairman of the ÚNMZ.
The necessary simplification is a tribute to the maximum clarity of the leaflet. If someone wants to know in detail the formal requirements for the correct labelling of respirators, the above guide is more suitable. The leaflet is a basic reference guide for consumers when making actual purchases and is not intended to be used to back-check the adequacy of respirators purchased, for example, last spring when a number of emergency exemptions were in place and properly certified CE marked respirators were in desperate short supply on the market.
"Our goal is not to say which respirators are better quality, who sells illegal products or even fakes. Together we have created a fictitious respirator called "Pepa", which we are trying to show the ordinary consumer what basic information must be on the respirator and its packaging if it is to meet the European standard," adds Jakub Král from the educational and consulting company Porta Medica, which participated in the preparation of the leaflet.
The information leaflet will be distributed to the general public. There will be an online version that can be shared free of charge on the web, social networks, etc. A printed version will be available at publicly accessible places in hospitals, offices, pharmacies or public transport.
The information leaflet can be downloaded here: I have the right respirator