A draft Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance recommends employers with high to medium risk of flu exposure stockpile facemasks and respirators in advance of a pandemic. Although emphasizing that the guidance is advisory, OSHA says employers with medium exposure risk (schools, high population work environments, high volume retail) should stockpile up to 240 facemasks per employee for a pandemic (to cover 120 workdays). High risk employers (healthcare, emergency medical services, first responders) are advised to stockpile up to 480 facemasks and 960 respirators per employee.

According to the draft guidance, manufacturing capacity at the time of an outbreak would not meet the expected demand of respiratory protection devices during a pandemic, and the stockpiling would lessen the impact of an outbreak on the business. The guidance estimates the unit cost of facemasks would range from $0.12 to $0.20; respirators from $0.50 to $3.00 each.