According to the pesticide product label information, any employee who is required to wear a respirator must undergo a medical examination by a physician or licensed healthcare professional before using a respirator. Such an assessment should take into account the employee’s health, specific job responsibilities, respiratory type, and workplace conditions.
Why is Respirator Clearance Medical Evaluation Needed?
It is harder to breathe through a respirator than in room air. The additional physiological load may be significant for people with certain medical conditions. As an examiner, your goal is to determine any health conditions that may put the employee at risk of wearing a respirator and the medical suitability of the employee to wear a respirator.
What Should the Healthcare Provider Evaluate?
Having information from both the employee and the employer allows the examiner to determine what is respirator clearance for use in a specific context. The assessment can be done by reviewing the employee’s responses to the medical questionnaire or by conducting a personal exam that collects the same information. View the full survey in English and Spanish. Medical evaluation information is confidential. You can only see this as an employee and you as an examiner.
How Do the Employer-provided Answers Come Into Play?
The employer must provide information on how to use the respirator at work. For example, the type and weight of respirators and filters, the duration and frequency of use of the respirator, personal protective equipment is worn during use, exposure to the workplace, expected stress levels during use, and operating conditions. The employer must also provide you with an OSHA airway protection standard.
Potential Results
Additional testing and/or follow-up evaluations may be necessary to make a final respirator clearance determination. The need for a reassessment of the time between assessments depends on several factors, such as whether the employee reports shortness of breath or dizziness associated with the use of a respirator, or changes in working conditions.
Limitations
You may place limitations on the medical clearance, for example, in situations where the employee has to manage a health condition when using a respirator. Respirator clearance may be denied if the employee has a health condition prohibiting them from safely using a respirator under the described conditions. Respirator clearance may be granted for longer periods, but it must be repeated if there are changes in the employee's health status, facial structure, respirator, or the nature of the employee's work or workplace conditions.