PFT’S, WHAT ARE THEY?

What Are Pulmonary Function Tests?
Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are lung tests. They show how well your lungs work. This is a
non-invasive test, which means that there is no break in the skin and there is no contact with
the mucosa, or skin break, or internal body cavity beyond a natural or artificial body orifice. It is
completed by blowing into a device that will measure the amount of air that you exhale (blow
out).

Does OHSA Require Pulmonary Function Tests if I wear a respirator?

The PFT is the most commonly misunderstood component of OSHA’s respirator use regulations.
Many employers think that all employees subject to respirator use must have a pulmonary function test. Some employers take it further by conducting annual pulmonary function tests.
The facts, however, are clear: OSHA does not require a PFT for respirator certification.

Why Are Pulmonary Function Tests Done?

Testing your lungs can help diagnose issues with your lungs such as:

• Asthma
• Allergies
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Damaged or scarred lung tissue
• Disease caused by breathing in asbestos fibers
• Sarcoidosis, a collection of inflammatory cells around organs
• Lung cancer
• Infections
• Thickened, stretched, or enlarged airways
• Thickening or hardening of your connective tissues, known as scleroderma
• Weakness of the muscles in the wall of the chest

How does a Pulmonary Function Test work?

Using spirometry is one way the test can be conducted it is one of the most common pulmonary function tests. Spirometry measures how much air you can breathe in and out. It also measures how fast you can empty the air out of your lungs. During the test, you’ll breathe in as much air as you can. Then you’ll quickly blow as much air out as you can through a tube connected to a machine called a spirometer.

PFT’S, WHAT ARE THEY ?

The test measures two things:
1. The most air you can breathe out after inhaling deeply. The results will let you know if you
have a reduced ability to breathe normally.
2. How much air you can exhale in 1 second. The score tells your doctor how severe your
breathing problem is.
The test is painless and takes less than 10 minutes.

Below is a basic diagram of the human respiratory system.

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FORM 300 AND HEARING SHIFTS

Did you know that a Hearing Threshold shift requires a form 300 be filled out?

A Form 300 log is required for each physical establishment location that is expected to be in operation for at least one year.

Identify the Required Recordings

An employee’s hearing test result that the employee has experienced a standard threshold shift in hearing in one or both ears is considered a work-related injuries or illnesses that must be recorded in the Form 300 Log.

The OSHA Regulation 29 C.F.R. §1904.7 contains an in-depth overview of recordable injuries and illnesses. Additional information on determining medical treatment and first aid can be located at 29 C.F.R. §1904.7(b)(5).

Determine Work-Relatedness

When an accident occurs, an employer must document a recordable injury or illness on the OSHA Form 300 log within seven days. An injury or illness is considered work-related and must be recorded on the log unless an exception applies.

Complete the OSHA Form 300

Employers must fill out the OSHA Form 300:

The Form 300 will contain information related to an employee’s health and must be kept confidential to the extent possible while using the information for occupational safety and health purposes. OSHA provides guidance that includes the forms needed for maintaining occupational injury and illness records along with step-by-step instructions.

Complete and Post the OSHA 300A Annual Summary

The information from the OSHA Form 300 Log is transferred onto the 300A Summary by matching the corresponding lettered column on the log with the lettered blank space on the summary.

The employer must complete the establishment information section and have the summary signed by an authorized executive of the company.

Employers must complete the 300A summary form and post the summary in the workplace from February 1 to April 30 of the year following the year covered by the form at each job site in a conspicuous area where notices to employees are customarily placed. For example, accidents occurring in 2015 will be summarized on the Form 300A and posted from February through April 2016. Copies of the 300A summary should be provided to any employees who may not see the posted summary because they do not regularly report to a fixed location.

Submit Electronic Reports to OSHA

Employers with 20 or more employees that are subject to OSHA’s recordkeeping regulation must electronically submit to OSHA information from Form 300A (Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) by March 2.

Employers with fewer than 20 employees at all times during the year do not have to submit information electronically to OSHA.

The requirement to electronically submit information from OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses), and OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) was eliminated in 2019. 

Retain the Log and Summary The OSHA Form 300 Log and the OSHA 300A(-1) Summary must be kept for five years following the year that the log and summary pertain to.

HEARING IN THE WORKPLACE

 Why is Audiometric Testing needed?

Occupational Noise Exposure is noise, or unwanted sound, is one of the most pervasive occupational health problems. It is a by-product of many industrial processes. Sound consists of pressure changes in a medium (usually air), caused by vibration or turbulence. These pressure changes produce waves emanating away from the turbulent or vibrating source. Exposure to high levels of noise causes hearing loss and may cause other harmful health effects as well. The extent of damage depends primarily on the intensity of the noise and the duration of the exposure.  Noise-induced hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. Temporary hearing loss results from short-term exposures to noise, with normal hearing returning after period of rest. Generally, prolonged exposure to high noise levels over a period of time gradually causes permanent damage.

What monitoring is required? The hearing conservation program requires employers to monitor noise exposure levels in a way that accurately identifies employees exposed to noise at or above 85 decibels (dB) averaged over 8 working hours, or an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). Employers must monitor all employees whose noise exposure is equivalent to or greater than a noise exposure received in 8 hours where the noise level is constantly 85 dB. The exposure measurement must include all continuous, intermittent, and impulsive noise within an 80 dB to 130 dB range and must be taken during a typical work situation. This requirement is performance-oriented because it allows employers to choose the monitoring method that best suits each individual situation. Employers must repeat monitoring whenever changes in production, process, or controls increase noise exposure. These changes may mean that more employees need to be included in the program or that their hearing protectors may no longer provide adequate protection.  Below is a basic diagram of the human ear and shows the parts of the ear that can receive damage if exposed to prolonged noise.