OSHA Proposes Flexible Respirator Standards for High-Hazard Substances

 The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed changes to its respiratory protection standard to allow employees with risk of exposure to certain toxic substances to wear a broader range of NIOSH-approved respirators, including filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs).  

The proposed revisions aim to reduce regulatory complexity, support best practices in respiratory protection, and improve flexibility for employers without compromising worker safety, according to government officials. Here’s what you need to know about the proposed rule and how it could impact compliance in high-hazard industries. 

What Would Change? 

OSHA has proposed updates that would ease respirator requirements for specific toxic substances, including asbestos, benzene, cadmium, ethylene oxide, lead, methylene chloride, vinyl chloride, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, and 1,3-butadiene. The proposed revisions aim to: 

• Allow broader use of respirator types, such as filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and loose-fitting PAPRs. 
• Eliminate duplicative or conflicting provisions by harmonizing substance-specific rules with the general respiratory protection standard (1910.134). 

Medical Evaluations Dropped for Simple Respirators 

The proposal would remove mandatory medical evaluations for users of FFRs and loose-fitting PAPRs. The recommendation is based on OSHA’s findings that during the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people safely used such respirators safely without duplicative medical exams. 

Why It Matters for Employers 

The following are cited as related benefits for employers: 

• Flexibility & Cost Savings: Companies could choose from more types of respirators without the need for medical evaluations in some instances. 
• Streamlined Compliance: A unified respiratory standard would simplify training, monitoring, and audit readiness. 
• Worker-centered Adaptability: Employers could match respirator type to real-world job demands while meeting minimum safety requirements. 

However, not all standards are being relaxed. OSHA said it intends to retain stricter, substance-specific requirements when scientific data shows a need for higher levels of protection, especially when there is a risk for exposure to toxins associated with serious health effects. 

What’s Next 

A public comment period on the proposed changes will close on Sept. 2, 2025. After reviewing feedback, OSHA is expected to move forward with rulemaking that could alter respirator requirements and medical evaluation policies for many industries. 

Final Take 

The proposed changes to respiratory protection standards are part of a broader OSHA shift toward the relaxation of certain regulations. Agency officials say the intent is to improve flexibility for employers, better align standards, and reduce redundancies while maintaining or enhancing employee protections based on scientific evidence. To prepare, employers are advised to: 

• Evaluate existing respiratory protection programs and substance-specific gaps 
• Reassess respirator inventory and medical evaluation procedures 
• Monitor the rulemaking process and prepare comments if their operations could be affected