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General information about a public program, not legal or medical advice. This page is for lab managers, safety officers, employees and union representatives who need to know what a NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) is, who may ask for one, and what happens after the request. Facts below are as described on the official CDC/NIOSH pages and in 42 CFR Part 85 on 2026-11-07.
What a health hazard evaluation is and who runs it
The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program is, in NIOSH’s words, a free service that evaluates U.S. workplaces for health hazards. The hazards it looks at include chemicals, noise, infectious diseases and work stress. It is run by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (part of CDC) through its Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Branch in Cincinnati, Ohio. NIOSH states that it does not enforce workplace health and safety standards, so an HHE is an investigation with recommendations, not an inspection with citations. (Source: CDC NIOSH, About the HHE Program, read 2026-11-07.)
The phrase “health hazard evaluation” is also used in product-recall work, where a manufacturer assesses the health risk of a defective product. That is a different process with a different owner. For recalls, see product recall procedure and 21 CFR Part 7 recalls. The rest of this page covers the NIOSH workplace program.
Who can request an HHE (eligibility)
NIOSH says employees, employers and union officials can request an HHE, at no cost to the requestor or the workplace. The formal rules sit in 42 CFR Part 85, whose section 85.3-1 says a non-employer requester must state that they are one of the following:
- an authorized representative or officer of the organization representing the employees for collective bargaining;
- an employee authorized by two or more employees in the same workplace, with each authorization in writing and a copy submitted with the request; or
- one of three or fewer employees in the place of employment where the substance or agent is normally found.
An employer does not need to make that statement. The statutory authorities NIOSH lists are the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Section 20), the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Sections 301 and 501), 42 CFR Part 85, and 29 CFR 1960.35 for federal agency workplaces. (Sources: 42 CFR 85.3-1, read 2026-11-07; NIOSH about page above.)
What a request must contain
Under 42 CFR 85.3-1 a request includes:
- the requester’s name, address and telephone number, if any;
- the name and address of the workplace where the substance or agent is usually found;
- the specific process or type of work that produces or uses it;
- details of the conditions or circumstances that prompted the request;
- the requester’s role, if not the employer (see eligibility above);
- a statement of whether NIOSH may disclose the requester’s name to the employer; and
- where known, supplementary details such as agents, trade and chemical names, manufacturer, warning labels, physical form, number of people exposed, daily exposure hours and occupations.
The Part 85 section titles also show where the other rules live: 85.4 (acting on requests), 85.6 (advance notice of visits), 85.7 (conduct of investigations), 85.10 (imminent dangers), 85.11 (notification of determination) and 85.12 (subsequent requests).
How to submit a request
NIOSH directs requesters to its “Request a Health Hazard Evaluation” page. Contact points on the NIOSH pages are the email [email protected], 513-841-4382 for a hazard or illness, 304-285-5751 for respiratory illness, or mail to the Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Branch, 1090 Tusculum Ave, MS R-9, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1988 (as listed on 2026-11-07).
What happens after a request: two paths
NIOSH describes the process on its request page (read 2026-11-07): the program contacts the requester, and the team decides how to help. There are two paths, shown side by side below.
| Feature | Path A: letter with recommendations | Path B: site visit |
|---|---|---|
| When used | Common hazards, for example mold or indoor environmental quality | Situations needing on-site observation or measurement |
| Site visit | No | Yes, at an agreed time; more than one visit may be needed |
| Basis | Information from the employer, employees and their representatives | Observed work practices, review of exposure, injury and illness reports, meetings with representatives, private employee interviews |
| Possible extras | None described | Exposure measurements, surveys, and medical testing if needed |
| Outcome | Letter of recommendations | Report with findings and recommendations |
Timeline phases
NIOSH describes the sequence as request, contact, a decision on the path, then either a letter or one or more visits, and finally a report. The pages read do not state a time limit for any phase, so plan on the order of events, not on a schedule.
Confidentiality and reports
- Employees can mark the form to withhold their name from the employer.
- Employees receive their own exposure and medical results; employers receive a summary without names.
- The report goes to the employer and employee representatives. On-site findings are then published online without company or employee names in the HHE report database at www2a.cdc.gov/hhe/search.asp, and the program’s annual reports summarise projects.
How labs and research institutions can use the program
Because published reports are searchable, a lab safety officer can read evaluations of comparable workplaces before an incident, for example to see which exposures NIOSH investigated and which controls it recommended. An HHE does not replace internal hazard work: pair it with a job hazard analysis of lab procedures, the written program required by the Hazard Communication Standard for laboratories, and the exposure thresholds explained in IDLH.
Common mistakes
- Expecting enforcement. NIOSH does not enforce standards, so an HHE will not issue citations.
- Leaving out the confidentiality statement that 42 CFR 85.3-1 asks for, which decides whether the employer is told who asked.
- Submitting a request without the process, workplace and circumstance details the rule lists, which leaves NIOSH little to act on.
- Omitting the written authorizations when an employee request is made on behalf of two or more employees.
- Confusing the NIOSH program with recall-related health hazard evaluations (see above).
Related programs and concepts
| Item | What it is | Where on CASRAI |
|---|---|---|
| Job hazard analysis | Internal review of the steps of a task and their hazards | Job hazard analysis |
| Hazard communication | Labelling and information requirements for hazardous chemicals | HazCom for labs |
| IDLH | Immediately dangerous to life or health concentrations | IDLH |
| Recall health hazard evaluation | Product-recall risk assessment, separate from NIOSH | 21 CFR 7 recalls |
FAQ
How is an HHE different from a hazard analysis?
An HHE is an outside evaluation by NIOSH of a workplace after someone requests it. A hazard analysis, such as a job hazard analysis, is something your own organization performs on its tasks. See job hazard analysis for lab procedures.
What is the definition of hazard in an HHE?
The NIOSH program pages list the kinds of hazards covered (chemicals, noise, infectious diseases, work stress) rather than a single definition, and Part 85 speaks of a “substance or agent” found in a workplace. This page does not supply a competing definition.
What are the stages of risk assessment?
The NIOSH pages describe the HHE sequence (request, contact, letter or site visit, report), not a generic five-stage risk-assessment model. NIOSH’s hierarchy of controls ranks responses in this order: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment (NIOSH, read 2026-11-07).
Does it cost anything?
No. NIOSH describes the service as at no cost to the requestor or workplace.
Can I stay anonymous?
Employees can mark the form to withhold their name from the employer, and the request rule asks every requester to state whether NIOSH may disclose their name.
Sources
- CDC NIOSH, Health Hazard Evaluation Program: About, read 2026-11-07.
- CDC NIOSH, Request a Health Hazard Evaluation, read 2026-11-07.
- 42 CFR Part 85 (Cornell LII), read 2026-11-07.
- CDC NIOSH, Hierarchy of Controls, read 2026-11-07.
