All employees whose noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA must be enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program and receive audiometric testing at no cost to the employee (29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1)-(2)). This determination is made without regard to the attenuation provided by hearing protectors — the measurement reflects actual noise exposure, not effective exposure after HPD use.
All employees whose noise exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour TWA of 85 dBA must be enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program and receive audiometric testing at no cost to the employee (29 CFR 1910.95(g)(1)-(2)). This determination is made without regard to the attenuation provided by hearing protectors — the measurement reflects actual noise exposure, not effective exposure after HPD use. Testing must cover 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 6,000 Hz in each ear per 29 CFR 1910.95(h)(1). SHOEBOX: SHOEBOX PureTest’s OSHA default test configuration includes all required frequencies plus 8,000 Hz — a frequency audiologists commonly include because it provides additional early-warning data for noise-induced hearing loss patterns. The 8,000 Hz result is not part of the OSHA STS calculation but is clinically useful for identifying deterioration before it reaches the STS threshold.
