• Almost half of anti-pollution masks examined by UOKiK failed the laboratory tests.
• This means they do not protect consumers against smog.
• This has been the second time UOKiK conducted such an inspection.

It has been the second time the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection checked whether anti-pollution masks really protect us. They are professionally called filtering half-masks and were selected for inspection by the Trade Inspection employees in the fourth quarter of 2018 in thirteen building stores and warehouses in five provinces. In total, twenty one models were inspected: six of them were inspected only in terms of labelling, and fifteen were sent to the Central Institute for Labour Protection laboratory, which checked whether masks meet three parameters, namely: inhalation resistance, paraffin oil mist penetration and internal leakage. The results are disappointing: six masks failed the laboratory test, and eleven were incorrectly marked. In 2017, two masks out of ten failed the tests.

Laboratory tests

It was established beyond doubt that four masks did not meet one parameter, and two failed to meet two of them. The tests showed that two masks failed the inhalation resistance test. Two more came out poorly in the paraffin oil mist penetration test. This means that airborne contaminants would easily damage the filter. The last two masks came out the worst, because they did not meet two out of three parameters. They failed the paraffin oil mist penetration and the internal leakage tests. In other words, they were leaky and had a poor-quality filter.

Labelling

An entrepreneur that sells masks must remember that they should be properly labelled and undergo tests in an accredited laboratory in the EU. Such a procedure ends with the issue of what is known as a declaration of conformity. Eleven masks were incorrectly labelled. Manufacturer’s data or information whether it was a disposable or reusable mask were missing. In nine cases, the declaration of conformity was problematic: it was either missing, or data were incomplete, or it was issued by an unauthorized entity. The Trade Inspection in Poznań found four models of half-masks that one of the entrepreneurs wanted to put on the market. It imported over 55,000 pieces from China and declared that the masks had been tested in an accredited laboratory in the EU, but as it turned out, the lab had no such accreditation. We checked these masks and found that they did not meet technical requirements. Thanks to our inspections, 55,000 defective masks will not be sold to consumers. We can therefore say we managed to protect all residents of Tomaszów Mazowiecki, which ranked high on the list of the most polluted cities. Entrepreneurs should verify whether laboratories have accreditation for testing their products, in this case personal protection equipment, such as filtering half masks, says Marek Niechciał, the President of UOKiK.

Consequences

UOKiK plans to initiate eight proceedings against entrepreneurs who sold six masks that failed the lab tests and two that were incorrectly labelled, and their producers did not correct the labels voluntarily. The proceedings may end up with an order to withdraw defective masks and notify consumers about it. According to amended regulations, UOKiK may impose a fine in the amount of up to PLN 100,000 on a manufacturer or importer that after 19 July 2018 made non-compliant masks available on Polish market. Furthermore, the Trade Inspection cooperates with customs authorities and assesses whether masks to be sold may cross the Polish border. In 2018, trade inspectors passed three unfavourable opinions, and thus more than 6,000 masks were not authorised for sale in Poland.

Do you buy an anti-pollution mask? If yes, check if it is marked with the CE logo, which means that – according to the manufacturer’s declaration – the mask meets all technical and legal requirements. Pay attention to the following signs: FFP1, FFP2, FFP3, which is the filter protection class, where 1 the lowest and 3 is the highest.

It is also important if the product is marked with the letters: NR (a disposable half-mask that cannot be reused or worn for more than 8 hours), R (a reusable half-mask) or D (a half-mask that passed the Dolomite clogging test; best choice if you plan to work in a dusty room for a long time, e.g. during renovation).

Advice, information about inspection and test results can be found on the UOKiK website.

If you have doubts about the quality of anti-pollution masks, please report them to the Trade Inspection.

Consumer service:

Phone: 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16 – consumer helpline
E-mail: [SCODE]cG9yYWR5QGRsYWtvbnN1bWVudG93LnBs[ECODE]
Consumer’s spokesman - in your city or district

Additional information for the media:

The UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warsaw
Phone: 695 902 088
E-mail: [SCODE]Yml1cm9wcmFzb3dlQHVva2lrLmdvdi5wbA==[ECODE]
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL