Surgical, medical or civilian: what the mask standards mean
Three masks with identical construction can be legally unusable in each other's settings. The standard is the product.
The construction is the same
All three masks in this catalogue are three-ply: non-woven outer, melt-blown filter middle, non-woven inner, elastic ear loops, nose clip. Nothing in the build distinguishes them at a glance, which is precisely why buyers get this wrong.
Surgical grade
Tested to YY 0469-2011 and CE EN 14683, with bacterial filtration efficiency above 95%, particle filtration efficiency above 30%, and water- and blood-proof construction. The splash resistance is the differentiator and it is what an operating environment requires.
Medical grade
Tested to YY/T 0969-2013 and CE EN 14683, also above 95% BFE, water-proof. Suitable for general clinical and care settings where fluid splash is not the hazard.
Civilian grade
Tested to CE EN 149:2001+A1:2009, published above 90% BFE. Intended for general public protection. It is not a clinical product and should not be bought as one because the price looks better.
BFE is not PFE
Bacterial filtration efficiency and particle filtration efficiency measure different things at different particle sizes. A mask quoted only on BFE tells you nothing about its performance against fine particulates — ask for both.
Where this applies in the catalogue
The guidance above is general. Applied here, it lands hardest on the disposable masks family.
