Respirator medical evaluations under OSHA 1910.134
The medical clearance OSHA requires before an employee is fit-tested or wears a respirator, with follow-up exams when the questionnaire calls for one.
Before you come in
What to bring and how to prepare
OSHA requires the employer to give the evaluator specific information about the respirator and the work. Bring the authorization with that information and the visit is quick.
Good to know
- Know the respirator type you will wear: N95, half-face, full-face, PAPR, or SCBA.
- Answer the questionnaire honestly; it is confidential and only the recommendation goes to your employer.
- If you have asthma or another lung condition, bring your prescriptions.
Bring
- Photo ID
- Employer authorization stating the respirator type and how it will be used
- A complete list of medications and doses
- Inhalers or documentation of any heart or lung condition
- Current clearance, if done elsewhere
- Glasses worn under a full-face mask
The visit
What the respirator medical evaluation includes
Questionnaire
You complete the Appendix C medical questionnaire in private; the employer never sees your answers.
Provider review
A physician or other licensed provider reviews the questionnaire against the respirator type and work conditions.
Follow-up exam
When an answer requires it: blood pressure, lung and heart exam, and spirometry as indicated.
Conditions considered
Respirator type and weight, work rate, protective clothing, and heat are weighed in the recommendation.
Written recommendation
Clearance, limitations, or a need for follow-up, in writing for your employer’s file and a copy for you.
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What it is
Confirming a worker can safely wear a respirator
OSHA requires a medical evaluation before an employee uses a tight-fitting respirator. The evaluation starts with the confidential questionnaire in 1910.134 Appendix C, reviewed by a physician or other licensed health care professional, and moves to a follow-up exam only when the answers call for one. The type of respirator, the work rate, the protective clothing, and the temperature all factor into the recommendation.
Injury Care Associates provides the evaluation and, when needed, the follow-up exam, and issues the written recommendation the employer must keep. Fit testing for the specific mask can be done in the same visit once clearance is issued.
After the exam
Written clearance for the respirator program file
The employer receives the written recommendation OSHA requires: whether the employee is medically able to use the respirator, any limitations, whether follow-up is needed, and confirmation the employee received a copy. Questionnaire answers and medical detail stay confidential.
- Cleared
- Medically able to use the respirator described, without limitation.
- Limitations
- Cleared with conditions, for example a powered air-purifying respirator instead of a negative-pressure mask.
- Not cleared
- Explained to the employee with the finding and what follow-up could change the result.
- Re-evaluation
- Triggered by symptoms, a change in health or job conditions, or a request from the employer, supervisor, or the provider.
For employers
Clear a whole crew before fit testing
Questionnaires reviewed in a block, follow-up exams the same day when needed, and fit testing to follow. Records delivered in a format your respirator program can file.
Common questions
Respirator exams, answered
Answers from our front desk and examiners. General information, not medical or legal advice.
What is the difference between a respirator medical evaluation and a fit test?
The medical evaluation confirms the worker can safely wear a respirator. The fit test confirms a specific make, model, and size seals on their face. OSHA requires both, and the medical evaluation comes first.
Is the questionnaire confidential?
Yes. You complete it in private and it is reviewed by the provider. Your employer receives only the written recommendation, never your answers.
How often do I need a new medical evaluation?
OSHA does not set a fixed interval. A new evaluation is required when you report symptoms, when the provider or a supervisor recommends one, when the respirator program changes, or when your job conditions change in a way that increases the burden.
Can the fit test be done the same day?
Yes. Once clearance is issued we can fit-test the specific respirator in the same visit. Bring the mask you will actually wear.