FDA published a Federal Register notice announcing availability of a draft guidance titled “Compliance Policy Regarding Premarket and Other Requirements for Certain NIOSH Approved Air-Purifying Respirators.” The draft guidance describes FDA’s intended compliance approach for certain respirators approved by NIOSH under 42 CFR Part 84 that may also fall under FDA medical device authorities in specific contexts (e.g., surgical N95s, N95 FFRs, PAPRs, elastomeric respirators). Compliance teams for manufacturers/importers of NIOSH-approved respirators used in healthcare/medical-device contexts should review the draft policy and consider submitting comments by the deadline stated in the notice.
CDC/NIOSH published a Federal Register notice soliciting nominations to fill vacancies on the Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory Committee (MSHRAC). This is an administrative/governance action (not a new employer compliance requirement), but it is a formal NIOSH process update that stakeholders may want to track and respond to. The notice specifies a nominations deadline of April 22, 2026.
NIOSH published a Federal Register notice requesting public comment on a draft Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) Value Document for lewisite (CAS 541-25-3). While not a binding rule, IDLH values are widely used in industrial hygiene and emergency response planning (e.g., respiratory protection selection, confined space and incident response procedures). Stakeholders should review the draft IDLH rationale and submit technical comments by the stated deadline.
CDC/NIOSH issued an updated joint OSHA/NIOSH Hazard Alert addressing worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica during countertop manufacturing, finishing, and installation. The guidance explicitly states it supersedes NIOSH Publication 2015-106 and provides updated recommended controls and program measures intended to help employers keep exposures below OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL). This update is compliance-relevant for EHS teams managing silica exposure controls, respiratory protection, and work practice requirements in stone countertop operations.
CDC/NIOSH updated the joint OSHA/NIOSH Hazard Alert titled “Worker Exposure to Silica during Countertop Manufacturing, Finishing, and Installation” (DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2026-101; OSHA HA-3768-2026). The updated hazard alert (last reviewed Feb 26, 2026) supersedes NIOSH Publication 2015-106 and provides current guidance intended to help employers and safety teams manage silica exposure risks in countertop fabrication and installation activities (e.g., engineering controls, work practices, respiratory protection and program elements). While not a binding rule, it is authoritative NIOSH guidance often used by EHS programs to benchmark controls and training expectations.
NIOSH and OSHA jointly issued an updated Hazard Alert (DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2026-101) addressing respirable crystalline silica exposure risks during stone countertop manufacturing/fabrication/finishing/installation. The publication explicitly supersedes NIOSH Pub. 2015-106 and reiterates OSHA-aligned prevention expectations (e.g., engineering/work practice controls, limiting dry cutting/cleaning practices, respiratory protection program considerations, and medical surveillance trigger summaries under OSHA silica standards). Compliance teams should review and align internal EHS procedures, training content, and exposure-control practices for countertop operations with the updated Hazard Alert recommendations and referenced OSHA standards (29 CFR 1910.1053 and 29 CFR 1926.1153).
CDC published a Federal Register notice under the Paperwork Reduction Act requesting public comments on a proposed extension of an existing information collection related to the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer (NFR). This is an administrative/data-collection action (not a substantive safety standard) that can affect ongoing participation and reporting/data submission mechanics associated with the registry. Comments are due April 27, 2026.
CDC/NIOSH published a Federal Register notice under the Paperwork Reduction Act requesting public comment on an extension of the existing information collection for the National Firefighter Registry (NFR) for Cancer (OMB Control No. 0920-1348). The notice indicates the current OMB control expiration date (4/30/2026) and solicits comments by April 27, 2026. For compliance and program stakeholders (e.g., fire departments, unions, occupational health programs, and entities supporting firefighter cancer surveillance), this is an administrative step that affects continuity of the registry’s data-collection authority and may influence participation mechanics or burden estimates.
NIOSH published a Federal Register notice requesting information to gather public input on priority topics for its Center for Firefighter Safety, Health and Well-Being Portfolio. The notice is a formal, docketed solicitation for stakeholder feedback (not a binding regulatory change) that may shape future NIOSH research/services priorities affecting firefighter safety and occupational health guidance. Compliance and safety stakeholders (e.g., fire departments, manufacturers, occupational health programs) can submit comments by the stated deadline.
CDC/NIOSH published a Federal Register Request for Information seeking stakeholder input on priorities for the NIOSH Center for Firefighter Safety, Health and Well-Being portfolio. The notice states it does not propose new regulations or requirements, but it is a formal, docketed action that can influence future NIOSH research, program priorities, and potential downstream guidance affecting firefighter safety and health programs. Comments are due April 3, 2026 via the specified docket.
CDC/NIOSH published a Federal Register Request for Information (RFI) seeking stakeholder input to help refine priorities for the NIOSH Center for Firefighter Safety, Health, and Well-Being research and service portfolio. The notice states it does not propose new regulations, requirements, or policies, but it is an official docketed action that can influence NIOSH priority-setting and downstream guidance, research, and program emphasis relevant to firefighter occupational safety and health. Compliance teams and affected stakeholders (fire departments, unions, PPE/respirator stakeholders, researchers) may wish to submit comments by the stated deadline and monitor follow-on outputs.
CDC/NIOSH published a Federal Register notice announcing a public meeting of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH), including a deadline for submission of written comments for inclusion in the meeting record. The ABRWH supports NIOSH activities related to EEOICPA radiation dose reconstruction and related Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) petition processes. While not a binding rule change, the notice is a formal, docketed governance action relevant to stakeholders tracking EEOICPA/SEC developments and program administration.
NIOSH issued a revised version (January 2026) of its guidance/fact sheet on informing workers about counterfeit and misrepresented respirators. The update includes clarifying content related to respirator/cartridge protection (as reflected in the revised PDF). Compliance teams managing respiratory protection programs and procurement/supplier controls can use the revised guidance to strengthen worker communications, inspection/verification practices, and purchasing controls to avoid non-NIOSH-approved or misrepresented products.
NIOSH published an updated/revised CBRN Respiratory Protection Handbook (Publication 2025-111). The update expands the CBRN APR Protection List (described as increasing from 139 to 286 hazards) and includes corrections/clarifications regarding fit testing references (clarifying OSHA’s continued acceptance of qualitative fit testing for positive pressure tight-fitting respirators and NFPA’s identification of quantitative fit testing for positive pressure respirator wearers). This matters for emergency response and CBRN respiratory protection program planning, hazard coverage assumptions, and fit-testing communications aligned to NIOSH/OSHA/NFPA expectations.
NIOSH published a revised version of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Respiratory Protection Handbook (NIOSH Publication 2025-111, revised September 2025). The update expands the CBRN air-purifying respirator (APR) protection list (hazards evaluated/covered) and corrects/clarifies fit-testing language (noting OSHA’s acceptance of qualitative fit testing in certain contexts and correcting prior inclusion/misstatement regarding NFPA fit-testing identification for positive-pressure respirators such as SCBA). This is a compliance-relevant NIOSH guidance update for organizations selecting and managing NIOSH-approved CBRN respirator configurations within respiratory protection programs.
NIOSH updated the online update log for its "NIOSH List of Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings, 2024" to state that certain drugs with manufacturer’s special handling information (MSHI) meeting the NIOSH definition should be treated as hazardous drugs and are considered included in Table 1. The July 17, 2025 update identifies datopotamab deruxtecan (Datroway®), treosulfan (Grafapex™), and telisotuzumab vedotin (Emrelis™) as included. This impacts healthcare and other employers’ hazardous drug handling programs (e.g., risk assessments, engineering controls, PPE, handling procedures) that rely on the NIOSH HD List.
NIOSH posted a notice dated July 17, 2025 stating that three drugs with manufacturer’s special handling information (MSHI) are considered included in Table 1 of the NIOSH List of Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings, 2024: datopotamab deruxtecan (Datroway®), treosulfan (Grafapex™), and telisotuzumab vedotin (Emrelis™). Healthcare organizations and entities aligning hazardous drug handling programs (e.g., under USP <800>) should evaluate whether these agents are handled onsite and update inventories, risk assessments, SOPs, training, engineering controls/PPE, labeling, and waste procedures accordingly.
OSHA published a proposed rule (Cotton Dust) that includes proposed updates to respirator-related provisions and explicitly references aligning respirator requirements with NIOSH respirator certification criteria in 42 CFR Part 84 (reflecting updated NIOSH respirator technology and replacing outdated references). Although this is an OSHA proposal, it is directly relevant to NIOSH because it relies on NIOSH’s certification framework for respirators and could affect how NIOSH-certified respirators are referenced/required in OSHA compliance. Stakeholders should review the proposal and consider submitting comments by the stated deadline.
CDC/NIOSH finalized revisions to 42 CFR Part 88 (WTC Health Program) to align program regulations with statutory changes, expanding eligibility for responders at the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania sites by adding additional eligible responder classes (including certain Department of Defense/other federal agency employees, certain federal contractor employees, and members of regular/reserve uniformed services). The final rule also implements a statutory cap of 500 total enrollees under the expanded eligibility criteria at any time and makes conforming/definition updates. Organizations that support potentially eligible populations and program administrators should update eligibility screening, outreach, and enrollment procedures consistent with the revised regulatory text and cap mechanics.
NIOSH issued a Science Policy Update (Publication 2025-104) recommending employers use individual, quantitative fit testing for hearing protection devices to determine a worker-specific Personal Attenuation Rating (PAR), rather than relying on derating of manufacturer Noise Reduction Ratings (NRR). This guidance affects hearing conservation program practices (fit-testing adoption, documentation, training, and procurement of fit-test systems) for organizations that align programs with NIOSH best practices.