Safety and Risk Management
Employee Medical Monitoring Program
Specific Medical Monitoring Standards and Protocols
Respiratory Protection
Authority: Title 8, Section 5144, California Code of Regulations (CCR)
Covered employees
Any employee who has the occasion to use any form of respiratory protective equipment.
Examinations
Persons should not be assigned to tasks requiring the use of respirators unless it has been determined that they are physically able to perform the work while using the required respiratory equipment. A licensed physician shall determine what health and physical conditions are pertinent.
Frequency
The medical status of persons assigned use of respiratory equipment shall be reviewed biannually.
Protocol
Mandatory tests
- Comprehensive medical examination with emphasis on respiratory and cardiovascular condition.
- Pulmonary function test.
Optional tests
- Singleview (PA) Chest X-Ray
- Electrocardiogram
Physicians Report
Shall indicate if there are any restrictions to he wearing of respiratory protective equipment; shall indicate what levels of respiratory equipment may be worn.
Examination Protocols
| Test | Pre-Exposure or Pre-Placement | Annual | Periodic | Exit | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive medical examination | X | Every 2 years | X (1) | (1) if not conducted within previous 12 months | |
| Pulmonary function test | X | X | (2) for SCBA and airline supplied wearers only. | ||
| Chest X-Ray | X (2) | X (2) | X (1,2) | (3) At the examining physicians discretion where there is justifiable concern regarding health risk from use of respirator. | |
| EKG | X (2) | X (2) | X (1,2) | ||
| Stress Test | X (3) | X (3) | X (3) |
Note: Where employees are authorized to use a filtering face piece, single use respirator rated N95,R95, or P95 or below under voluntary use criteria specified in CCR, Title 8, Article 107, section 5144 (c) and mandatory Appendix D, and where that use is not intended to provide respiratory protection to employees for any criteria compound, chemical, particulate or biological material, and where that use will constitute less than 30 days in any one calendar year (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31), those employees may submit a medical evaluation instrument (questionnaire) to be evaluated by a physician or other licensed health care professional. At the discretion of the evaluating physician or other licensed health care professional, a medical clearance to use single use filtering face piece respiratory protection may be issued without a physical examination or pulmonary function test.
The physician or other licensed health care professional shall return a clearance form to Safety, Risk Management, and Information Security that declares the employee cleared to wear a single use, filtering face piece respirator. The completed medical history questionnaire shall be sent under separate cover to the employee.