Brochure - Employee

Health
Hazard
Evaluation
Program
What Employees
Should Know

Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/

What is the
NIOSH Health
Hazard
Evaluation
Program?

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is a part of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The NIOSH mission is to develop
new knowledge about occupational safety and health and see that it is used to
protect workers. The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program provides a
free service. When asked, the HHE Program evaluates health hazards in workplaces
throughout the United States. If you think something in your workplace is making you
or other employees sick, you and your coworkers can ask for an HHE.
The HHE Program has expertise in many areas, including health hazard identification,
exposure assessment, symptom surveys, medical testing, and engineering controls.
Health hazards the HHE Program can assess include the following:
• Physical agents such as heat and noise
• Biological agents such as mold
• Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis
and influenza
• Chemical substances such as solvents, metals, and particulates
• Work stress from excessive workload demands or bullying

Why Should
You Request
an Evaluation?

An HHE can benefit employees.
• An HHE can help give you a greater voice in the health and safety of
your workplace.
• You will learn whether exposures or conditions in the workplace may
harm your health.
• The HHE Program will tell you and your employer how to reduce or
eliminate hazards in your workplace.
Many employers use the information to make changes that are good for
the health of their employees.

Who Can
Request
an HHE?

Employees can request an HHE for their own workplace. In most workplaces, you
will need to ask two coworkers to make the request with you. If three or fewer
people work in the area you are concerned about, then one employee can make a
request alone. If you and your coworkers do not want the HHE Program to reveal
your name to your employer, you can mark that on the request form.
If you belong to a union, your union representative also can make a request.
If you are concerned about a work-related health issue where a family member or
friend works you cannot make a request for them. But, you can share information
about the HHE Program with them and encourage them to make a request.

Do you think that something at your workplace is hazardous to your health?
If so, request a Health Hazard Evaluation at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/request.html.

What Happens After
You Request an HHE?

After you request an HHE, a health and safety expert from the HHE
Program will contact you. Then the HHE Program will contact your
employer to tell them about the request. From the information provided,
the HHE Program will decide if an on-site evaluation is needed.
For common types of hazards, an on-site evaluation is not always
needed. If this is the case, health and safety experts will get information
by phone from you and your employer; and review reports about
exposures, illness, and injury. In a letter to you and your employer, they
will suggest ways to make your workplace healthier and safer. They
also may suggest other places you can go for help.

What Happens
During an On-Site
Evaluation?

If an on-site evaluation is needed, health and safety experts will come to the
workplace at a time agreed upon by all involved. They may:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Observe work processes and practices
Meet with managers
Talk with employees
Review reports of exposure, injury, and illness
Measure exposures
Survey employees about their health
Carry out medical testing

The process may require more than one visit.
When exposure measurements or medical tests are done on employees, the HHE
Program will send the results directly to each employee. Summary information will
be shared with the employer without revealing employees’ identities.
If you request an HHE, you can choose to meet with the team when they are on
site. If you do not want to meet with the team, you can help find another employee
to represent all employees at the workplace. Regardless of what you choose, the
HHE Program will keep you informed of its activities and progress.

What Happens
After the
Evaluation?

The Report

The Follow Up

After the evaluation is done, the HHE Program

After the report is released the HHE

will send you and your employer a report. The

Program will invite you or another employee

report will tell you what the HHE Program did

representative to ask questions and share your

and what they found. It also will suggest ways

thoughts in a phone call. Later, you will receive

to make your workplace healthier and safer for

surveys by mail to get your opinion about the

you and your coworkers. Your employer must

report and to give you a chance to describe

post the report in a location where you and your

actions taken after the HHE. To help improve

coworkers can read it. The HHE Program also

the HHE Program, your employer may be asked

shares the reports with other federal agencies,

about their interest in scheduling a follow-up

and the reports become part of the public

visit. This will help the HHE Program learn how

record. The HHE Program posts the report on its

useful its recommendations were in improving

website where it is available to everyone for free.

health and safety in your workplace.

Are Employee
Requests
Confidential?

If you are an employee requesting an HHE, you can mark
on the HHE request form that you do not want your name
revealed to your employer.
As provided by federal law, the HHE Program protects
personal information it gets from records, forms, or
interviews. Federal law prohibits employers from retaliating
or punishing employees for making HHE requests or
cooperating with the HHE Program.

If you have any questions about how your identity and information will be protected,
contact the HHE Program at HHERequestHelp@cdc.gov.

How Do You Request an HHE?
To request an HHE, find the request form at
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/request.html.
You can fill it out online. Or, you can print the
form and send it by mail or fax.
If you have any questions, please contact the
HHE Program Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Eastern Standard Time:
1-513-841-4382
HHERequestHelp@cdc.gov
NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program
4676 Columbia Parkway, Mail Stop R-9
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1988

Delivering on the Nation’s Promise: Safety and health at
work for all people through research and prevention.
To receive documents or other information about
occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH:
1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
1-888-232-6348
CDC INFO: cdcinfo@cdc.gov
or visit the NIOSH website
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/.
For a monthly update on news at NIOSH, subscribe to NIOSH eNews
by visiting http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/eNews.

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2013–xxx