Hearing Conservation Programs for Employees
Every day, workers are exposed to noise during their workday that may be loud enough - or occasionally loud enough - to be damaging to their hearing. Without adequate protection and procedures, long-term damage can occur. Mobile Medical Corporation will provide baseline, periodic, and/or annual audiograms.
A baseline audiogram is an audiogram against which future audiograms are compared, making it possible to determine if an employee's hearing has changed since the initial hearing test was performed.
With the baseline audiogram now on file, the employees move into an annual cycle of hearing testing. The hearing test results are then compared against the identified ear-specific baselines, allowing you to take appropriate measures if a shift in hearing is detected. These changes are recorded as Standard Threshold Shift (STS).
Standard Threshold Shift
A standard threshold shift is a detectable change in hearing as compared to the baseline audio. The American Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines a change as an average shift of 10dB or more at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz in either ear. If a shift is identified, follow-up actions are required by both the employer and employee. MMC will notify the employer and employee within 21 days of the determination of a hearing shift and refer them to an audiologist for follow-up testing and possibly treatment.
Recordkeeping
Employers must keep noise exposure measurement records for 2 years and maintain records of audiometric test results for the duration of the affected employee's employment plus thirty (30) years. Audiometric test records will include name, job classification, date, examiner's name, date of the last acoustic or exhaustive calibration, measurements of the background sound pressure levels in the audiometric test rooms, and the employees' most recent noise exposure measurement.
Interactive Audiometric Equipment
Mobile Medical Corporation utilizes "Shoebox Audiometry" which is changing how hearing conservation programs are administered. The ShoeBOX Audiometer is an interactive testing method calibrated with standard audiometric equipment to meet American National Standards Institute S3.1 and S3.6 standards and is both Health Canada and Food and Drug Administration listed.
The Shoebox system is an automated iPad audiometer that can be used in a variety of settings and:
- Is Clinically validated for use as a diagnostic audiometer even when testing is performed outside of a sound booth
- Detects automated baseline shifts
- Can be used to help with OSHA & MSHA compliance and reporting requirements
- Easy imports historic patient demographic and audiogram reports
- Has Integrated audio history questionnaires
