OSHA’s respiratory protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134) requires a medical evaluation before an employee first wears a respirator, and a fit test before use and at least annually after that. UrgentMed completes both at either Broward clinic — the medical questionnaire is reviewed by a licensed healthcare professional and the fit test is performed at the same visit, so the employee leaves with the documentation your written program needs.
Respirator fit testing — how it works
Fit testing confirms that a specific make, model and size of respirator seals to the employee’s face. UrgentMed performs qualitative fit testing using the OSHA Appendix A protocol: the employee wears the respirator under a hood while a test agent is introduced, and performs the seven exercises — normal and deep breathing, head turning and nodding, talking, bending and normal breathing again. A pass is recorded for that respirator; a fail means a different size or model is tried.
- N95 filtering facepieces and half-mask elastomeric respirators used in healthcare, construction, laboratories, manufacturing and remediation.
- Employees bring the respirator model(s) the employer issues, or the employer supplies a fit kit; the record names the exact model and size.
- Repeat testing annually, when a different respirator is issued, or after a change in weight, dental work or facial scarring that affects the seal.
- Employees must be clean-shaven where the facepiece seals — the test cannot be passed otherwise.
The OSHA respirator medical questionnaire
Before the first fit test, the employee completes the OSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire (1910.134 Appendix C). A licensed provider reviews it confidentially, examines the employee when the answers call for it, and may order spirometry — on site — for jobs that involve heavy exertion, powered or supplied-air respirators, or a history of lung disease. The employer receives only the written determination: cleared, cleared with limitations, or not cleared — never the medical answers.
Who needs it
- Healthcare, dental and laboratory staff wearing N95s for airborne-precaution patients or TB exposure — pairs with a TB test.
- Construction, demolition, painting, sandblasting, spray-finishing and silica- or lead-exposed trades.
- Manufacturing, warehouse, pharmaceutical and chemical-handling roles with respirator requirements.
- Mold remediation, asbestos abatement, pest control and hazardous-materials work.
- New hires as part of a pre-employment physical, and annual re-tests for existing staff.
For employers: set up a respirator program visit
Send employees individually or in groups; results are reported to your safety officer the same day and kept on file for the program record. Many employers combine the fit test with the other occupational screenings their program requires — TB testing, titers, vision, EKG — in one visit. Request services for your company or call the toll-free number to set up an account.
Walk in at either Broward clinic
Both clinics are open seven days a week — Davie at 5149 S University Drive (Renaissance Plaza, just off I-595) and Plantation at 10199 Cleary Boulevard, Suite 10 — serving Davie, Plantation, Cooper City, Weston, Sunrise, Southwest Ranches, Pembroke Pines and the surrounding Broward County communities. Hours, maps and parking.
Insurance and self-pay
Respirator medical evaluations and fit tests are billed to the employer account or self-pay; the price is quoted before the visit. Bring the respirator model(s) your employer issues and a photo ID.