Hearing Conservation Program FAQs

It depends what agency and state regulations you are under. To quote federal OSHA, it's when an employee's "exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels.", but the answer for you could be different. 

The United States' hearing safety regulations are the weakest in all the north, south, and central American countries. Many employers choose to go beyond requirements to reduce the possibility of injury claims.

Reach out to our experts to learn what's right for your needs

This answer varies for almost every employer, but many hearing conservation programs include

* noise measurement

* noise control

* audiometric testing

* hearing protection

* education & training

* recordkeeping

Anadyne provides many of the services in a hearing conservation program, as well as consulting style visits. We can make referrals to other professionals if needed.

As a package, or separately, Anadyne can provide sound studies & dosimetry, annual hearing testing, hearing protection, recordkeeping services, and much more. Reach out to tell us about your needs!

While federal OSHA regulation has a specific approach to the application of age correction factors, many individual staes (ie Oregon & Washington) have distinctly different approaches to standard threshold shifts. This changes the guidelines for when an STS meets recordability criteria in these states. 

In states such as Oregon & Washington, where age correction applies differently, the follow up to a non-recordable STS remains the same as a recordable STS - it just doesn't need to be recorded on the OSHA 300 log.

This is often a very misunderstood & misapplied regulation - reach out to our team with any questions.

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According to federal OSHA, when an employee's time weighted average noise dose exceeds 85 dBA over an 8-hour shift, they must be included in the hearing conservation program. 

This is subject to different volume levels and length of work shift, however.

OSHA's Permissible Exposure Limit is a 90 dBA time-weighted average over an 8-hour shift. At this level, hearing protection must be worn. 

Anadyne's system is flexible to your needs - we help many employers whose compliance is split between two agencies, and in some cases have to comply with both. Let us know how they're separated, and we'll take care of the rest.

Federal OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95(k) goes over  the requirement in detail.

The training usually includes:

- effects of noise on hearing

- purpose of hearing protectors & information on various types

- instructions for selection, fitting, use, and care of HPDs

- the purpose of annual hearing testing, and an outline of the test procedures

Oregon, Washington, and several other states require that the hearing test examiner must be a CAOHC certified technician, or other specialty physician including otolaryngologists, otologist, occupational audiologist, or other qualifying physician.