That isn't most companies. That is an OSHA requirement for any environment with very stringent standards for respiratory hazards, beginning with basic dust/particulate protection ranging up to very specialized gas/vapor protection. I ran an industrial circuit breaker repair/upgrade/retrofit and fabrication facility for GE about 12 years ago, and since I was basically a one-man operation with no janitorial service, I had to sweep the floors too as part of my HSE housekeeping activities. During normal operations, sometimes I cut fiberglass and metal with abrasive discs, as well as had a glass bead blaster, so I had some pretty wicked stuff in the air at times, which was only aggravated when sweeping. Particulates are exactly why anything that breathes air will sneeze. That said, I went to the local Home Depot to get some masks, I found N95 respirators at a very inexpensive price in bulk. They were clearly labeled respirator, but I thought that was because they were made in China and I wasn't quite hip yet about the difference in a mask and a respirator. By OSHA definitions, 1 strap is a mask, two straps is a respirator, regardless of the orientation of the straps. And that's where the trouble begins. Regardless of the shape and size of the actual filter media, the number of straps is the determining factor. Shortly after purchasing said masks to mitigate what I considered to be a hazard to me and anyone else that worked in that shop, we had a safety audit. I really thought our HSE manager would be proud of my initiative to provide everyone with airborne particulate PPE. But, instead, he told me I had to discard all the N95 masks (nearly 500 of them) because I was not fit-tested and trained to wear them. This was all well and truly before the planet knew about COVID 19, and masks/respirators were not very expensive then. But looking back now ..... Never mind the fact that I was actually cleanshaven (mustache notwithstanding) fit-tested and trained for the M-41 mask at the time because of some contract work at the Anniston Army Depot Chemical Disposal Facility. The M41 comes in MANY shapes and sizes for just about any size and shape pumpkin you can imagine, with a really nice silicone seal for the face. If you've never had to pass an Army fit test for the M-41, you have no idea how hard that is to do if you smoke. It's all about CO2 levels in the mask, including some mildly strenuous exercise while reading loud enough to be heard and understood by others not wearing the mask (Not real sure about that requirement). But I'd rather get a little dizzy from CO2 during the testing than the alternative of getting a good snort of Sarin or VX. I even got my own little 2PAM kit to carry while I was there as well. Took me 4 attempts to pass, but pass I did, so then I was permitted to go through three security gates with very heavily armed guards with fully automatic weapons and roaming Humvees with turret mounted .50 cal machine guns, as well as the occasional M1A2 crossing the roads into a place where use of deadly force warnings were posted in abundance. To think I actually volunteered for that job. Did I mention I've had an interesting career?