OSHA rules
Respirator medical evaluations may narrow
OSHA proposed in July 2025 to drop the medical evaluation requirement for filtering facepiece respirators, such as N95s, and loose-fitting PAPRs. It also proposed aligning the respirator rules in 16 chemical standards. Hearings ran in August 2026; there is no final rule.
On your exam?
Not yet: the exam still tests the prior rule
Exams test 1910.134(e) as written: a medical evaluation before fit testing or first required use, for every required respirator, N95s included.
Judged against ASP11, CSP11 and CHST5, the outlines in effect on October 16, 2026.
- Status
- Proposed. Hearings held; final briefs were due October 4 to 9, 2026
- From
- OSHA
- Citation
- 90 FR 28463; RIN 1218-AD48
- Last checked
- October 16, 2026
Key dates
- July 1, 2025Proposed rules published (medical evaluations and 16 chemical standards)
- November 1, 2025Extended comment period closes
- July 6, 2026Reopened comment period closes
- August 19, 2026Hearing on medical evaluations (August 19 and 20)
- August 25, 2026Hearing on the 16 chemical standards
- September 19, 2026Post-hearing comments due (medical evaluations)
- October 4, 2026Final written briefs due (medical evaluations)
What OSHA proposed
- Medical evaluations: remove the initial and follow-up medical evaluation requirements for required use of filtering facepiece respirators and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators. Other air-purifying and atmosphere-supplying respirators would still need them.
- 16 chemical standards: revise respirator provisions in standards such as asbestos, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde, lead and methylene chloride so they line up with 1910.134 and allow different respirator types.
The rule today
1910.134(e)(1) requires the employer to provide a medical evaluation of the employee's ability to use a respirator before the employee is fit tested or required to use it. That is still the rule, and it's what our respiratory protection questions cite.
Practice what's tested now
Sources
- Federal Register: medical evaluation proposed rule (July 1, 2025)
- Federal Register: comment period reopened (June 3, 2026)
- Federal Register: notice of informal public hearings (June 3, 2026)
- OSHA: deregulatory rulemaking and hearing schedule
Published October 16, 2026. Last checked against these sources October 16, 2026. Something out of date? Email hello@passcited.com.