OSHA requires that all employee audiometric test records be retained for the duration of that employee’s employment (29 CFR 1910.95(m)(3)(ii)). This requirement applies regardless of whether the employee leaves voluntarily, is terminated, or retires. Noise exposure measurement records carry a shorter retention period: 2 years from the date of measurement (29 CFR 1910.95(m)(3)(i)). Three operational implications follow.
OSHA requires that all employee audiometric test records be retained for the duration of that employee’s employment (29 CFR 1910.95(m)(3)(ii)). This requirement applies regardless of whether the employee leaves voluntarily, is terminated, or retires. Noise exposure measurement records carry a shorter retention period: 2 years from the date of measurement (29 CFR 1910.95(m)(3)(i)). Three operational implications follow. First, records must be accessible — not just stored. OSHA requires that audiometric records be made available to employees, former employees, designated representatives, and OSHA upon request (29 CFR 1910.95(m)(4)). Records that cannot be produced promptly on request do not meet this requirement regardless of where they are stored. Second, if a business closes or is acquired, audiometric records must be transferred to the successor employer, or if there is none, employees and NIOSH must be notified before disposal (29 CFR 1910.95(m)(5)). Third, the audiometric record is not just a test result — it must include the employee’s name and job classification, the test date, the examiner’s name, the date of the most recent acoustic calibration, the employee’s most recent noise exposure assessment, and the background sound pressure levels in the test room at the time of testing (29 CFR 1910.95(m)(2)(ii)). SHOEBOX: The SHOEBOX Data Management Portal stores the complete required record set — audiogram results, examiner identity, calibration dates, and ambient noise measurements — with automatic backup from the iPad. Records are accessible on demand without submitting a request to an external vendor, and they remain in the portal regardless of changes to the organization’s equipment or service provider.
