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OSHA Respirator Written Recommendation (PLHCP)

Once a physician or other licensed health care professional (PLHCP) finishes a respirator medical evaluation, OSHA requires a written recommendation telling the employer whether the employee is medically able to use the respirator. It is the only result the employer receives; the questionnaire and exam findings stay confidential. OSHA defines the content in 29 CFR 1910.134(e)(6) but provides no form.

Who completes it

The PLHCP who reviewed the Appendix C questionnaire or performed the medical exam writes the whole recommendation.

Submitting and payment

How to submit it
The PLHCP gives the recommendation to the employer and provides the employee with a copy, which the document must confirm.
Who pays
The employer pays; the respirator medical evaluation is provided at no cost to the employee.

Good to know

  • The recommendation contains only respirator-use limitations and whether the employee can use the respirator, the need for follow-up evaluations, and a statement that the employee received a copy.
  • If a negative-pressure respirator poses risk but the employee can use a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR), the employer must provide a PAPR.
  • Before deciding, the PLHCP receives the respirator type and weight, duration and frequency of use, work effort, other protective gear and temperature or humidity extremes.
  • Re-evaluation is required after symptoms, a PLHCP or supervisor request, fit-testing problems, or workplace changes that add physiological burden.

Read the official requirements

The issuer sets what the letter or report must contain; check its current rules before you write it.

PLHCP Written Recommendation Regarding the Employee's Ability to Use a Respirator

Official page

Get the note ready with Vero

There is no form to fill: the program asks for a letter or report with the content it sets. Vero Scribe writes the visit note it draws on, so the details are ready when you write it.

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How this list is checked

A form is listed only after its name and number were confirmed on the issuing agency’s or insurer’s own website, or in the form itself. Each entry links to that source. The list was last checked in October 2026. Forms and their requirements change without notice, so check the official page for the current version before you complete one.

Vero is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the agencies and insurers listed here. Read our editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

What can a PLHCP include in the respirator recommendation?

Only three things: any limitations on respirator use related to the employee's medical condition or workplace conditions, including whether the employee is medically able to use the respirator; the need for any follow-up medical evaluations; and a statement that the PLHCP has given the employee a copy of the recommendation.

Who counts as a PLHCP for respirator clearance?

OSHA defines a physician or other licensed health care professional as someone whose legally permitted scope of practice, by license, registration or certification, allows them to independently provide, or be delegated responsibility for, some or all of the health care services required by the respirator medical evaluation paragraph of 1910.134.