Many jobs require the use of a respirator as a standard safety practice to protect employees from inhaling toxins or fine dust particles.
While respirators are designed to help keep employees safe on the job, not everyone can safely wear a respirator. SafeWorks Illinois performs respiratory certification physicals to evaluate whether your employees can safely wear a respirator on the job, according to OSHA standard 1910.134.
We begin the process by having each employee fill out the OSHA Respirator Questionnaire. One of our medical providers will evaluate the questionnaire form and determine the employee’s medical needs to obtain respirator clearance. An employee may need a physical and/or additional testing such as a pulmonary function test, chest x-ray and fit test.
SafeWorks Illinois also offers Qualitative Fit Testing as part of respiratory services. Fit testing is required for all tight-fitting respirators. Fit Testing is also required for N95 masks. For more information on the types of respirators that require mask fit testing, OSHA has produced a video for employer and employees covering this topic, and the CDC has compiled respirator information into a resource page.If you need assistance with your respiratory requirements, you can visit OSHA standard 1910.134 to learn more about which protocol would be best for your respiratory program.
