Hearing Conservation Program
Texas Hearing Clinic offers comprehensive audiometric testing for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements. This includes baseline hearing testing and annual hearing tests. As required by OSHA regulation 1910.95(g)(3), all audiometric testing is performed by a licensed and certified audiologist, or by a certified technician who is responsible to the audiologist.
The following explains the hearing conservation program offered at Texas Hearing Clinic. If you have an interest in having these services provided to your company, please email [email protected] for more information.
The following explains the hearing conservation program offered at Texas Hearing Clinic. If you have an interest in having these services provided to your company, please email [email protected] for more information.
Baseline Hearing Testing
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As per required law {1910.95(g)(i)}, baseline audiometric testing must be completed within six months of an employee’s first exposure to levels exceeding the action level for hearing conservation. This should be determined by the hearing conservation specialist prior to the baseline evaluation.
At Texas Hearing Clinic, we perform the baseline evaluation in the clinic at 1340 Wonder World Drive, Suite 4301, San Marcos, TX 78666. The audiometric test room has been properly evaluated to meet ANSI noise standards {1910.95(g)(7)(iii)(C)}. We can also provide on-site baseline hearing evaluations if we find that the test room meets ANSI noise standards. Within 14 hours of the baseline evaluation, the employee must have at least 14 hours without exposure at the workplace. Hearing protectors may be used as a substitute for this requirement within 14 hours {1910.95(g)(5)(iii)}. |
Annual Hearing Testing
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Each employee requires an annual hearing test at least once a year should he/she be exposed to at or above an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels{1910.95(g)6)}. Each annual hearing test shall be compared to the baseline evaluation to determine whether there is a standard threshold shift{1910.95(g)(7)(i)}.
Audiometric tests must be done in a room that does not exceed the OSHA required sound pressure levels of 40dB at 500-1000Hz, 47dB at 2000Hz, 57dB at 4000Hz, and 62dB at 8000Hz using a Sound Level Meter calibrated by the requirements of American National Standard Specification for Sound Level Meters, S1.4-1971 (R1976). If this cannot be obtained in a room on-site, we will provide a booth that can maintain these specifications for annual evaluations. |
Standard Threshold Shift
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According to OSHA, “a standard threshold shift is a change in hearing threshold relative to the baseline audiogram of an average of 10dB or more at 2000, 3000, and 4000Hz in either ear,” {1910.95(g)(10)(i)}.
An allowance can be made for aging and its contribution to changes in hearing thresholds by utilizing a correction factor procedure to the annual evaluation {1910.95(g)(10)(ii)}. If we find that there is a standard threshold shift utilizing on-site audiometric testing, a follow up hearing evaluation must be done to verify the shift at the clinic on 1340 Wonder World Drive, Suite 4301, San Marcos, TX 78666. |