UK – BSI Publishes Guidance Document BSI Flex 5555 Community Face Covering – Specification

Vol. 1213 | 12 Jan 2021

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published a guidance document for community face coverings.

The document is BSI Flex 5555 Community face coverings — Specification. It is provided free of charge and is available to download via the link: https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/topics/novel-coronavirus-covid-19/community-face-coverings/

The guidelines have been produced to provide guidance on the minimum requirements for the design and performance assessment of community face coverings (barrier masks) which are intended for consumers. The specification is provided for community face Coverings which are not intended to fall within the scope of PPE or medical face coverings.

The specification offers guidance for key parameters such as design, filtration efficiency and breathability, and tests recommended to assess the performance are included in the document, including washing conditions, markings and instructions for use.

It contains requirements to be applied to filtration efficiency and breathability and also contains details for:

• general information on single- and multi-use face coverings
• cleaning requirements for multi-use coverings
• recommended test methods

The BSI Flex 5555 Community Face Coverings – Specification is Version 1 of the standard. It will be available for public comment until 1 February 2021. It is intended that a second version of the Specification will be published following the consultation period.

For additional information please contact:

Mike Redshaw, Global Softlines
mike.redshaw@intertek.com
Office: +44 (0)1942 265700