Pulmonary Function Testing
29 CFR 1910.134ATS/ERS standardsNHANES III
Spirometry for respirator clearance and baseline respiratory surveillance, run to American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society standards. Most commonly this sits under the OSHA respirator standard and substance-specific standards, which mandate operator training, equipment calibration, and quality control.
What it costs
Pulmonary Function Testing
Prices are indicative per-test rates for a scheduled event at a mobilized site. Final rates are set with your scope — headcount, test mix, travel, and event frequency all move the number. Your scoped quote is free.
What it is
What the service actually covers.
- Forced spirometry capturing FVC and FEV1, with the inspiratory loop where clinically indicated.
- Testing tied to OSHA respirator clearance, DOT medical certification, or baseline respiratory surveillance for dust, silica, and chemical exposure.
- A minimum of three acceptable maneuvers, with the highest two FVC and highest two FEV1 values each falling within 0.150 L of one another before the test is considered complete.
- Interpretation against NHANES III reference equations.
- Full pre-test screening for contraindications before any maneuver is attempted.
How we run it
The standards we hold, including where they exceed the rule.
- Our operators hold NIOSH-approved spirometry training with refresher training every five years. This is not legally mandated for basic non-DOT wellness screens; we require it of every operator anyway, to protect data integrity and limit liability.
- A technician may decline to test on contraindication grounds without employer override. A declined test is documented and referred, not rescheduled at a client's insistence.
- We do not test where there has been eye, thoracic, or abdominal surgery within three months; myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or stroke within one month; a current aortic aneurysm; recent pneumothorax; hemoptysis of unknown origin; or acute respiratory illness.
- Every effort is reviewed on screen immediately and rejected for hesitant start, cough in the first second, early termination, glottis closure, obstructed mouthpiece, or lip leakage. Attempts are capped at eight, and we stop early if an employee becomes exhausted or lightheaded.
- Nose clips are used on every maneuver, without exception.
- Our spirometer self-verifies and does not require daily syringe calibration. Where a syringe-calibrated backup unit is used, the daily three-liter check at three discharge speeds applies in full, to a ±3% or ±0.09 L limit.
- Each technician's technique, error recognition, and coaching ability is evaluated and documented annually.
At your site
What standing this up on a new site takes.
Sorted out during site survey, before anything is scheduled.
- A room held between 17°C and 40°C (62.6-104°F), with ambient temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity logged daily.
- A sturdy chair with arms and no wheels — seated testing is the standard, and if standing is used it must be documented and used consistently for that employee.
- Pre-test instructions communicated to employees ahead of the event: no smoking or vaping for one hour, no alcohol for four hours, no vigorous exercise for 30 minutes, no restrictive clothing.
- Where spirometry supports respirator clearance, sequence it before fit testing so clearance is in hand on fit test day.
Results live in the Occupational Health Record, separate from the personnel file. Supervisors receive fitness-for-duty and restriction information only — never underlying results or diagnoses. Employee medical records are retained for the duration of employment plus 30 years, per 29 CFR 1910.1020.
More services
Most sites bundle these into one event.
Setup and travel are already absorbed once we are on site, so stacking service lines into a single visit is materially cheaper per employee than scheduling them separately.
A licensed paramedic on screen the moment your crew needs one, guiding care hands-on through your certified team.
Non-DOT urine and oral fluid collection, run to DOT-equivalent protocol.
Qualitative and quantitative fit testing under the OSHA respiratory protection standard.
Baseline and annual audiograms for hearing conservation programs, run in a mobile setting.
DOT vision certification support and employer-defined non-DOT acuity screening.
CLIA-waived point-of-care testing, with send-out to reference laboratories where needed.
Get covered
Ready to get pulmonary function testing running at your site?
Send us your headcount, your location, and which service lines you need. We will come back with a real rate card for your scope and what it takes to stand it up. No obligation.