Members Want to Know:
Spirometry Training Requirements
“Our Respiratory Therapists are able to perform PFTs when indicated by the physicians for Respirator Clearance. Being that we are only performing Respirator Clearances, do they require a NIOSH certification? I know regulations for silica surveillance require that.”
Check out our Practice Brief:
Distinguishing the Respiratory Protection Standard from Substance-Specific Surveillance
Digital Interpreters
“We have had a hot topic come up lately and wanted to pick your brain. Are you allowed to use a digital (ipad) interpreter for completing a DOT drug screen collection if in person is not an option. Mixed reviews on this so wanted to clarify as long as the in-person collector is certified in the collection process the interpreter does not have to be certified as they are not physically doing the collection.”
NAOHP Practice Brief:
Guidance on remote interpreter services, collector qualification, and documentation under 49 CFR Part 40
Marijuana Rescheduling for Non-Federal Drug Testing
“what your thoughts were on the federal reclassification of marijuana in terms of reporting non-federal drug screens- what are you advising NAOHP members?”
NAOHP Practice Brief:
what has and has not changed for non-federal (non-DOT) drug testing programs, and provides practical guidance for occupational health programs and their employer clients.
🧱 Hit a paywall on those links?
The Practice Briefs are part of the NAOHP Member Library — every brief includes the regulatory citations, the practical workflow, and the documentation language your team can use today. [Become a member →] and unlock the full library.
— Larry
New Vendor Member Spotlight: Data Dimensions
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🫂 2026 conference plans 👉 Submit Your Conference Preferences Here Now
🏪 Occmarket
All corporate members are eligible to list your clinic locations on the Occmarket.
If you haven’t yet, PLEASE submit your locations using this template - make a copy, add your organization name to the title, then share or email back to me - [email protected], then we’ll meet to get your full account set up.
These listings are free for corporate members and will begin to attract outside business.
Purpose Built Occupational Health EMR
🗓 Upcoming Events
Sales & Marketing Office Hours
Many Occ Med accounts start with injury care, but the broader opportunity is often in helping employers prevent injuries, improve job fit, and manage workforce health more strategically.
In our next Occ Med Sales Office Hours, David Saslavsky and Ira Pasternack will be joined by Denise Dumont, PT, a Maine-based occupational health leader whose career has spanned physical therapy, onsite employer services, hospital-based occupational medicine, large private and national occupational medicine organizations, and urgent care employer strategy.
We’ll discuss how a PT-informed perspective can help practices expand employer relationships beyond reactive injury care, including prevention-minded services, smarter program design, and what is realistic to offer, build, or partner around.
Thursday, May 14 at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern.
If you are responsible for growing employer relationships, this session will help you think more clearly about how to expand Occ Med accounts in a way your practice can actually deliver.
Provider Office Hours
Twice monthly office hours for providers enrolled in the Occmed for Providers course or are OccDocOne users, or affiliated programs.
This week Dr. Koehler reviews OccDocOne
Enroll Here:
Wed, May 14 at 9 a.m. Pacific
Becoming a Safety Leader in Healthcare
The Expanding Role of the Nurse in Health Care Safety
Goal: Master the evolving intersection of occupational health and safety leadership.
Key Topics:
• Shifting expectations of OHNs: from clinical care to system safety oversight.
• Understanding the dual lens of employee and patient safety.
• Introduction to Total Worker Health® principles in hospital settings.
• The business case for nurse-led safety programs (ROI, risk reduction, engagement).
Target Audience:
Registered Nurses, Occupational Health Nurses, and Employee Health professionals transitioning into or expanding safety leadership roles in healthcare systems.
Free Intro Class:
Speaker: Shanna Dunbar
The first cohort for the full course is coming this fall.
🏭 Occupational Health Industry News & Signals
FMCSA Extends Paper Medical Certificate Exemption Through October 11, 2026 — Final Transition Window
On April 11, FMCSA issued a six-month exemption allowing CDL and CLP holders nationwide to continue using paper Medical Examiner's Certificates (Form MCSA-5876) as proof of medical qualification for up to 60 days after issuance. The exemption runs through October 11, 2026, and was issued in response to a Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance request. Five states have lagged in implementing the switch to digital medical cards and complying with the NRII rule, necessitating a temporary reliance on paper certifications. FMCSA's decision to extend the waiver through October 11 is a clear acknowledgment that the system still is not consistently closing that gap, with five states still not compliant with the new rule: Alaska, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Wyoming. FMCSA has stated it does not anticipate granting additional nationwide extensions after this six-month window closes. Heavy Duty TruckingTrucksafe Consulting
Source: FMCSA exemption notice | Trucking Info coverage
What this means for you: Certified Medical Examiners should continue issuing the paper MCSA-5876 alongside electronic submission — this is FMCSA's explicit recommendation through the transition. For programs supporting motor carrier clients, this is the moment to audit your DQ file verification workflow: after October 11, the MVR becomes the sole source of truth for CDL driver medical certification, and carriers still relying on collected paper cards will have a compliance gap on day one. If you're advising employer clients, now is also the time to confirm their CDLIS access and verification cadence is established.
NAOHP Members: Our DOT Compliance resources cover NRII workflow, examiner documentation standards, and audit-ready DQ file practices. Browse the DOT Compliance section of the Member Library →
OSHA Issues Revised Heat NEP — 55 Targeted Industries, Five-Year Term, Random Inspections on Heat Advisory Days
OSHA's prior Heat National Emphasis Program expired April 8. Two days later, on April 10, 2026, OSHA issued a revised Heat NEP that is effective immediately and will remain in place for five years. Compared to the 2022 Heat NEP, the data update resulted in the removal of 46 previously targeted industries, the addition of 22 new industries and the retention of 33 previous industries, for a total of 55 currently targeted industries. Targeted sectors now include construction, farming, manufacturing, retail, transportation, warehousing, and restaurants. Compliance officers can conduct random inspections in covered industries on days when the National Weather Service issues a heat advisory or warning — no prior incident required. Haynes Boone
What this means for you: Heat-related clinical encounters will pick up over the next four months — both employee evaluations and employer-driven program reviews. Three things worth flagging to employer clients now: (1) verify whether their NAICS codes appear on the revised Appendix A target list, (2) confirm written heat illness prevention programs include acclimatization protocols, water/rest/shade procedures, and trigger thresholds, and (3) make sure supervisor training documentation is current. For your own clinical workflow, this is also a good moment to refresh staff on heat illness recognition, especially the early signs that distinguish heat exhaustion requiring rest and rehydration from heat stroke requiring emergency transport.
NAOHP Members: Heat illness clinical evaluation, employer surveillance program design, and return-to-work protocols are covered in the Member Library. Access heat-related resources →
NIOSH Workforce Fully Reinstated; FY2027 Budget Proposal Would Restructure the Agency
After nine months of layoff notices and litigation, HHS reversed course on January 13, 2026, and reinstated all NIOSH employees who had received reduction-in-force notices. "The administration's attempt to lay off nearly every NIOSH worker was shameful and illegal, considering that much of NIOSH's work is required by law." However, the FY2027 HHS budget proposal published April 3 would move NIOSH's Respirator Approval and Mining Research programs — along with the Firefighter Cancer Registry — into a newly formed National Center for Chemicals and Toxins, while proposing cuts to the National Occupational Research Agenda, education and research centers, and other occupational research line items. AFGE
What this means for you: The Respirator Approval Program — which evaluates and certifies every NIOSH-approved respirator used in U.S. workplaces — is preserved under the proposed restructure, but the broader research and training infrastructure occ health relies on (NORA, ERCs, NIOSH-funded spirometry training pathways) is on uncertain footing. Programs that depend on NIOSH-credentialed spirometry technicians or NIOSH-approved PPE for surveillance work should monitor where these functions sit by end of FY2027 and plan continuity accordingly. As covered in this week's lead section, NIOSH spirometry certification remains required for substance-specific surveillance (silica, cotton dust, coke oven, asbestos) — that requirement is not changing.
NAOHP Members: The Spirometry Technician Qualifications Practice Brief breaks down the distinction between Respiratory Protection Standard and substance-specific surveillance requirements. Read the brief →