Respirator Physical — Complete It Online in 15 Minutes

A respirator physical is the common name for the OSHA respirator medical evaluation required by 29 CFR 1910.134(e)(1). Despite the name, it usually is not a hands-on physical exam: OSHA allows the evaluation to be performed with the Appendix C medical questionnaire, reviewed by a physician or other licensed health care professional (PLHCP). An actual examination is required only as a follow-up when the questionnaire flags a health concern.

Usually not. OSHA 1910.134(e)(2) lets the employer satisfy the requirement with a medical questionnaire or an initial medical examination that obtains the same information. A follow-up medical examination is required only for employees who answer yes to any of questions 1-8 in Part A Section 2 of the Appendix C questionnaire, or whose initial examination shows one is needed. In practice, 98% of RespiratorTest.com submissions are cleared instantly from the questionnaire alone.

Yes. "Respirator physical," "respirator medical evaluation," "respirator medical clearance," and "pulmonary clearance for respirator use" all refer to the same OSHA 1910.134 requirement: a PLHCP must determine an employee's ability to use a respirator before fit testing and before first use.

The Appendix C questionnaire screens the conditions that make respirator use risky: lung diseases (asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, tuberculosis, silicosis, prior collapsed lung), cardiovascular problems (heart attack, angina, high blood pressure, arrhythmia), current breathing symptoms, seizures, diabetes, claustrophobia, relevant medications, and prior problems wearing a respirator. Full-facepiece and SCBA users also answer vision, hearing, and musculoskeletal questions.

Online, a respirator physical costs $17-22 per employee at RespiratorTest.com, versus $75-150 at an occupational health clinic. OSHA 1910.134(c)(4) requires the employer — not the employee — to pay for it.

OSHA does not set a fixed interval. Re-evaluation is required when an employee reports relevant symptoms, a PLHCP or supervisor requests it, fit-test observations indicate a need, or workplace conditions change (1910.134(e)(7)). Most employers align re-evaluation with the annual fit test required by 1910.134(f)(2); RespiratorTest.com certificates carry a 12-month validity period to match.

No — they are separate, sequential requirements. The medical evaluation (respirator physical) comes first; only after clearance can the employee be fit tested with the specific make, model, style, and size of respirator they will wear (1910.134(f)). The fit test is a physical seal check, not a medical screening.

Yes. Because OSHA permits the questionnaire route, the entire respirator physical can be completed online: the employee answers the official Appendix C questions in about 15 minutes, a licensed physician (PLHCP) reviews the responses, and 98% receive their OSHA-compliant clearance certificate instantly.