An Audiology Reviewer assesses individual employee audiograms for two things: changes in hearing from one test to the next, and "problem audiograms" — results that indicate a need for further evaluation beyond what STS mathematics can capture (29 CFR 1910.95(g)(7)(iii)).
An Audiology Reviewer assesses individual employee audiograms for two things: changes in hearing from one test to the next, and “problem audiograms” — results that indicate a need for further evaluation beyond what STS mathematics can capture (29 CFR 1910.95(g)(7)(iii)). Problem audiograms can include: sudden drops in hearing at a single frequency (which may indicate non-noise pathology), significant asymmetry between ears, audiometric patterns inconsistent with noise-induced hearing loss, or results that suggest testing validity issues. Automated STS calculation identifies whether the numerical threshold for an STS has been met — it does not evaluate clinical context, audiogram shape, or whether the result is consistent with the employee’s occupational history. Professional review addresses the clinical layer that software cannot. SHOEBOX: SHOEBOX’s Data Management Portal triages audiograms automatically based on configured rules (STS, problem audiogram flags, completeness), routing the relevant files to the SHOEBOX Audiology Review Network. Reviewers access and complete their reviews through the portal, and their recommendations are returned to the EHS manager in the same system — without file transfers or email chains.
