Medical Form

It is important to note that there is one requirement for PPE in regard to medical surveillance. (You have learned a little bit about medical surveillance in Unit 3, and will have the opportunity to further study the topic in Unit 10.)

OSHA provides a document titled Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire. This document states that before wearing a respirator, workers must be evaluated by a medical professional, who must consult the mandatory medical questionnaire provided on the document or by using a method equivalent to this questionnaire. (This document does not define or provide examples of an "equivalent method.")

Employers should provide this questionnaire to employees and ensure that the questionnaire and the appropriate medical evaluation take place before the employee wears a respirator. Employers must allow employees to complete this form "during normal working hours, or at a time and place that is convenient to" the employee. The employer must not look at or review the answers, and the employer must provide detailed instructions on how to submit this questionnaire to the appropriate medical professional.

The questionnaire is four pages long and asks basic questions about the employee's overall health, their experience wearing a respirator in the past, and more specific questions regarding the employee's heart and lung health. You will learn about this in detail in Unit 10, "Medical Surveillance."

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