Audiometric Recordable Shifts

LindaS

For the first time I have several employees whose annual audiograms show a significant shift, to the point that they may be OSHA recordable. One of the employees has a medical condition that affects her hearing (non-work related) and another is a big hunter. Since there is the potential that these are OSHA recordable, are we responsible for paying for the employee to see a specialist to determine if the reason for their shift is work related? They both wear hearing protection and one of the employees has spent a significant amount of the past year on layoff.

Any help would be appreciated.

safety

OSHA allows for a retest and if you are concerned about your TICR then I don't understand why you wouldn't want to pay for the re-test.

Safety Witch

I would like to pass on a few tips I've learned the hard way. Unless your company has meticulous dosimetry records, including calibration, and audiometric testing done at hire and annually thereafter to show when the shift occurred, you might as well bite the bullet and accept a claim as well as a notation on your OSHA Log. Make sure you specify right, left or bilateral threshold shifts for future reference. If there is another shift in the future for the same ear, you may not have to record the second shift. (I think it depends on your state requirements if you are a compliance state).

Safety W

Don D

You said 'may be OSHA recordable' and 'potential that they are OSHA recordable'. Either they are or they aren't. If the shift, as reported to you in writing by the testing company, meets the stated threshold, they ARE recordable, no matter what might have caused it.

safety

I beg to not agree with you Don D. OSHA allows a re-test within 30 days. That test along with an employee and employeer questionaire can then be sent to an audiologist who makes the determination if the shift was work related. There is a grey area here that becomes black or white only after the re-test results are examined and a determination made by the professional.

Don D

(My original response): You said 'may be OSHA recordable' and 'potential that they are OSHA recordable'. Either they are or they aren't. If the shift, as reported to you in writing by the testing company, meets the stated threshold, they ARE recordable, no matter what might have caused it.

(Edit): I will add to my original answer that you do, of course, have the right, under OSHA regulations, to retest, which we all do in all cases like this. But, the recording, ultimately, is not a grey area and the recording is required; it's not debatable after you go through the mechanics of your allowed retest.