This provision of the draft standard would, based on the type and level of service(s) established by the Emergency Service Organizations (ESO), require the ESO to establish minimum medical requirements based on the tiers of responder duties, tasks, and responsibilities. A qualified healthcare professional would perform the medical evaluation of the responders. The medical evaluation would include a medical and vaccination history, physical examination, and any laboratory tests required to detect physical or medical conditions that could adversely affect the responder’s ability to safely perform the essential job functions. Components of the medical evaluation program would comply with the corresponding requirements of §1910.95, Occupational noise exposure; §1910.134, Respiratory protection; and §1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens. The medical evaluation would be performed on each responder as a baseline for surveillance and annually thereafter. Also, each responder would be evaluated following an occupational exposure, illness, injury, or protracted absence from the job. The draft standard would also require the ESO to
- establish minimum physical performance requirements for responders and ensure responders meet the requirements before beginning training or becoming a responder if already trained
- develop and maintain a level of fitness that allows responders to safely perform their duties,
- implement a health and fitness program as determined by a qualified health care professional
The program would include at least the following components: