Health Hazard Evaluation Program

What Employers Should Know

Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Request an Evaluation
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.

•	 NIOSH does research

•	 NIOSH recommends ways to prevent work-related 

illness and injury

•	 NIOSH shares information with employers, employees, 

unions, and occupational safety and health professionals

As a research agency, NIOSH does not issue fines or citations in the 

workplaces it evaluates.

What is NIOSH?

Measuring noise at an aluminum can manufacturing facility.

Photo by NIOSH
The Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program evaluates workplaces 

throughout the United States. If you are an employer and want help assessing 

and controlling possible work-related health hazards in your workplace, you can 

ask for an evaluation. It is done at no cost to you.

The HHE Program has expertise in many areas, including hazard identification, 

exposure assessment, symptom surveys, medical testing, and engineering controls. 

Health hazards that can be assessed include:

What is the NIOSH 

Health Hazard 

Evaluation Program?

•	 Physical agents such as heat and noise

•	 Biological agents such as mold 

•	 Infectious diseases such as tuberculosis 

and influenza

•	 Chemicals such as solvents, metals, 

and particulates

•	 Psychosocial issues such as 

work stress 

Wiping a firearms instructor’s boots 

to test for lead contamination.

Photo by NIOSH
Why Should You 

Request an HHE?

An evaluation offers employers several benefits. 

•	 You will learn whether exposures or conditions 

in the workplace may harm employees’ health. 

•	 You will learn how to reduce or eliminate 

workplace hazards and prevent work-related 

illnesses and injuries. 

•	 You may see an increase in employee productivity 

and a decrease in workers’ compensation costs 

and medical expenses if you improve workplace 

health and safety programs. 

Who Can 

Request an HHE?

Employers, employees, and unions can request an evaluation. 

A business owner, an agency or organization head, plant manager, 

chief executive officer, health and safety manager, or human resource 

manager can request an evaluation on behalf of their employer. You 

can request an evaluation no matter how many employees you 

have and whether you are in the private or public sector.

If you have questions about requesting an evaluation 

or if you would like to discuss issues at your facility,

contact the HHE Program at 1-513-841-4382

or by email at HHERequestHelp@cdc.gov.
How Does the HHE Process Work?

After you ask for an evaluation, a health If the HHE Program decides an on-site evaluation is needed, health and safety experts 

and safety expert will contact you. From the will come to your workplace at an agreed upon time. The process may involve:

information you provide, a decision will be •	 Observing work processes and practices •	 Reviewing reports of exposure, made about how the HHE Program can assist. •	 Meeting with employee and employer injury, and illness

For common types of hazards such as mold representatives •	 Measuring exposures

and indoor environmental quality, an on-site •	 Talking privately with employees about •	 Surveying employees about their health

evaluation may not be needed. If this happens their health •	 Carrying out medical testing

in your case, health and safety experts The evaluation may require more than one visit. The team will work with you to will review information from you and your minimize disruption of workplace activities. Throughout the evaluation you and employees including reports about exposures, your employees will be kept informed about the HHE Program’s activities. The HHE illness, and injury. They will recommend ways Program will send employees the results of their own exposure measurements and to reduce employees’ exposures and prevent medical tests done during the evaluation. As an employer, you will get a summary work-related health problems. They may also of the results and guidance for improving health and safety in your workplace. suggest other resources.
How Do You Request an HHE?

The form to request an evaluation can be found online at 

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

You can fill it out online or print the form and submit it by mail or fax.

If you have questions, please contact the HHE Program 

Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time

1-513-841-4382 NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program

1090 Tusculum Ave., Mail Stop R-9 HHERequestHelp@cdc.gov Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998

Filling out the form to request an evaluation.

Photo by ©Thinkstock
After the evaluation is done, the HHE Program will send you and an employee 

representative a report that will tell you what the HHE Program did and what 

was found. It also will suggest ways to make your workplace healthier and safer. 

The HHE Program shares its reports with other federal agencies and the reports 

become part of the public record. The HHE Program posts its reports on its 

website where they are available to everyone for free. This allows other facilities 

to learn from the findings. The reports do not include your name or the name of 

your business, agency, or organization. 

After the report is released, the HHE Program will invite you to ask questions 

and share your thoughts about the evaluation. Later, the HHE Program will send 

you surveys by mail to ask your opinions about your experience and give you a 

chance to describe actions taken in your workplace since the evaluation. To help 

improve the HHE Program, you may be asked about scheduling a follow-up visit. 

This visit will help the HHE Program learn how helpful its recommendations were 

in improving health and safety in your workplace.

What Happens After 

the Evaluation?

Learning about health and safety improvements during a follow up 

visit. Photo by NIOSH
Delivering on the Nation’s promise: 

Safety and health at work for 

all people through research 

and prevention

To receive NIOSH 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. 2014-135

July 2014