{"abstract":"OSHA is proposing to remove some medical evaluation requirements in the Respiratory Protection Rule for certain types of respirators. This proposed change would only impact filtering facepiece respirators and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators.","action":"Proposed rule; request for comments.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF LABOR","name":"Labor Department","id":271,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/labor-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/271","parent_id":null,"slug":"labor-department"},{"raw_name":"Occupational Safety and Health Administration","name":"Occupational Safety and Health Administration","id":386,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/occupational-safety-and-health-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/386","parent_id":271,"slug":"occupational-safety-and-health-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2025/07/01/2025-12235.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"1910","title":29}],"citation":"90 FR 28463","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2025-09-02","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Comments must be received on or before September 2, 2025.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket # OSHA-2025-0006"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 12 - Radha, K., et al. \"Prevalence of physical and psychological impacts of wearing personal protective equipment on health care workers during COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.\" Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 26.3 (2022): 140.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0347"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 11 - Yu, MD Jiade, et al. \"Occupational dermatitis to facial personal protective equipment in health care workers: a systematic review.\" Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 84.2 (2021): 486-494.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0346"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 10 - Hua, Wei, et al. \"Short‐term skin reactions following use of N95 respirators and medical masks.\" Contact dermatitis 83.2 (2020): 115-121.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0345"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 9 - Shaw, Clarissa A., et al. \"Best practices for communication while wearing facemasks: A scoping review.\" Journal of Nursing Scholarship 56.2 (2024): 227-238.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0344"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 8 - Harber, Philip, et al. \"Subjective response to respirator type: effect of disease status and gender.\" Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 52.2 (2010): 150-154.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0343"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 7 - Radonovich, Lewis J., et al. \"Respirator tolerance in health care workers.\" Jama 301.1 (2009): 36-38.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0342"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 6 - Kirschenbaum, Alan. \"Mass terrorism and the distribution of gas masks in Israel: a longitudinal cohort analysis.\" International Journal of Mass Emergencies & Disasters 19.3 (2001): 1-15.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0341"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 5 - Fiske, Gavriel. Only 60 percent have gas masks. The Times of Israel (2013).","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0340"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 4 - Harber, Philip, et al. \"Respirator Medical Examinations: Current Practices and Future Needs.\" Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 67.8 (2025): 621-627.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0339"},{"title":"Hearing Exhibit 3 - McLellan RK, Harber P. Guide to the Medical Evaluation for Respirator Use, 2nd Edition. Beverly, MA: OEM Press; 2026. [Book]","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0338"}],"agency_name":"OSHA","documents":[{"comment_count":315,"comment_start_date":"2025-07-01","updated_at":"2025-12-16T00:56:05.647-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/OSHA-2025-0006-0013","allow_late_comments":false,"id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0013","comment_end_date":"2025-11-02","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":25,"id":"OSHA-2025-0006","title":"Respirators - Medical Clearance"}],"document_number":"2025-12235","effective_on":null,"end_page":28472,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2025/07/01/2025-12235.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/07/01/2025-12235/amending-the-medical-evaluation-requirements-in-the-respiratory-protection-standard-for-certain","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2025-12235?publication_date=2025-07-01","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2025-07-01/2025-12235/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":10,"page_views":{"count":10393,"last_updated":"2026-08-25 04:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-07-01/pdf/2025-12235.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-12235.pdf?1751287526","publication_date":"2025-07-01","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2025/07/01/2025-12235.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1218-AD48":{"issue":"202504","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1218-AD48/updates-to-respiratory-protection-standard-medical-evaluation-requirements","title":"Updates to Respiratory Protection Standard Medical Evaluation  Requirements","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202504&RIN=1218-AD48&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["1218-AD48"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Harber, Philip, et al. \"Respirator Medical Examinations; Current Practices and Future Needs.\" American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (2025): 621-627","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0028"},{"title":"Rothstein, Alexander, et al. \"A Randomized Control Trial Comparing the Effects of N-95 Respirator vs Surgical Mask Use on Resting Metabolic and Respiratory Changes.\" Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (2023): 10-1097.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0012"},{"title":"Pappas, George P., et al. \"Respiratory protective devices: rates of medical clearance and causes for work restrictions.\" American journal of industrial medicine 35.4 (1999): 390-394.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0011"},{"title":"McLellan, Robert K. \"Medical qualification for respirator use: An essential component of respiratory protection.\" American Journal of Industrial Medicine 63.10 (2020): 949-950. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23162","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0010"},{"title":"Harber, Philip, et al. \"Respirator Medical Examinations: Current Practices and Future Needs.\" Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (2023): 10-1097.  DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003436","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0009"},{"title":"Harber, Philip, and William S. Beckett. \"Health effects of filtering facepiece respirators: Research and clinical implications of comfort, thermal, skin, psychologic, and workplace effects.\" American Journal of Industrial Medicine 66.12 (2023): 1017-1032.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0008"},{"title":"Epstein, Danny, et al. \"Return to training in the COVID‐19 era: the physiological effects of face masks during exercise.\" Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports 31.1 (2021): 70-75.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0007"},{"title":"Gibbs, Jenna L., et al. \"Self‐reported respiratory health symptoms and respiratory protection behaviors of young adult hog producers in the United States.\" American journal of industrial medicine 66.9 (2023): 794-804. doi:10.1002/ajim.23515","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0006"},{"title":"Brent C. Doney, Dennis W. Groce, Donald L. Campbell, Mark F. Greskevitch, William A. Hoffman, Paul J. Middendorf, Girija Syamlal & Ki Moon Bang (2005) A Survey of Private Sector Respirator Use in the United States: An Overview of Findings, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2:5, 267-276, DOI: 10.1080/15459620590949020","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0005"},{"title":"Desai, Ushang, et al. \"Evaluation of Spirometry for Medical Clearance in Occupations Requiring Respirator Usage.\" Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine 5.3 (2017): 67-77.","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0004"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1218-AD48/updates-to-respiratory-protection-standard-medical-evaluation-requirements","title":"Updates to Respiratory Protection Standard Medical Evaluation  Requirements"},"comments_count":315,"agency_id":"OSHA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=OSHA-2025-0006","supporting_documents_count":12,"docket_id":"OSHA-2025-0006","document_id":"OSHA-2025-0006-0013","regulation_id_number":"1218-AD48","title":"Respirators - Medical Clearance","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2025-12-17T09:55:04Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":28463,"subtype":null,"title":"Amending the Medical Evaluation Requirements in the Respiratory Protection Standard for Certain Types of Respirators","toc_doc":"Amending the Medical Evaluation Requirements in the Respiratory Protection Standard for Certain Types of Respirators","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Health","Occupational safety and health"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":90}