9738 Federal Register / Vol. 48, No. 46 / Tuesday, March 8,1983 / Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The made available to all employees who recordkeeping requirements in the have average exposure levels of 85 dB. Occupational Safety and Health amendment have been approved by the A professional (audiologist, Administration Office of Management and Budget otolaryngologist, or physician) must be pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction responsible for the program but does not 29CFR1910 Act of 1980, Pub. L. 96-511, 44 U.S.C. have to be present when a qualified 3501, et seq. The OMB approval number technician is actually conducting the Occupational Noise Exposure; Hearing is 1218-0048. testing. Professional responsibilities Conservation Amendment include overseeing the program and the I. Executive Summary work of the technicians, reviewing AGENCY: Occupational Safety and The following summary briefly problem audiograms and determining Health Administration (OSHA), Labor. discusses the required components of whether referral is necessary. Both ACTION: Final rule the hearing conservation program. For a professionals and trained technicians more detailed discussion and may conduct audiometric testing. In SUMMARY: This rule finalizes various explanation of the amendment, see parts addition to administering audiometric aspects of the hearing conservation II-VI of this Supplementary Information tests, the tester (or the supervising amendment to the occupational noise section. professional) is also responsible for exposure standard. In January 1981, Monitoring ensuring that the tests are conducted in OSHA promulgated a hearing an appropriate test environment and conservation amendment (46 FR 4078) The hearing conservation amendment that the audiometer works properly, for requiring hearing conservation programs requires employers to monitor noise reviewing audiograms for standard for all employees whose noise exposure levels in a manner that will threshold shifts (STS), and for accurately identify employees who are exposures equal or exceed an 8-hour identifying problem audiograms exposed at or above an 85-decibel (dB) time-weighted average (TWA) of 85 requiring further evaluation by a 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). decibels (dB). The amendment was professional. subsequently stayed for reconsideration The exposure measurement must a. Audiograms. There are two types of and clarification. In, August 1981, major include all noise within an 80 dB to 130 audiograms required in the hearing portions of the amendment went into dB range. The requirement is conservation program: Baseline and effect; the administrative stay was performance oriented and allows annual audiograms. The baseline continued on other portions of the employers to choose the monitoring audiogram is the reference audiogram amendment and additional comments method that best suits each individual against which future audiograms are were solicited on these stayed portions situation. compared. Baseline audiograms must be (46 FR 42622). Under this revised amendment, provided within six months of an By its action today, OSHA is (1) employees are entitled to observe employee’s first exposure at or above a revoking many of the stayed provisions monitoring procedures and, in addition, TWA of 85 dB. Where employers are of the hearing conservation amendment, they must be notified of the results of using mobile test vans to obtain (2) lifting the administrative stay as to exposure monitoring. However, the audiograms, baseline audiograms must other portions of the amendments, and method used to notify employees is left be completed within one year after an (3) making certain changes and to the discretion of the employers. employee’s first exposure to workplace corrections of a technical nature. The Employers must remonitor workers’ noise at or above a TWA of 85 dB. hearing conservation amendment to the exposures whenever changes in Additionally, where mobile vans are OSHA noise standard, which is exposures are sufficient to require new used and employers are allowed to reprinted in its entirety at the end of this hearing protectors or cause employees delay baseline testing for up to a year, notice, establishes a comprehensive who were previously not included in the after 6 months those employees exposed hearing conservation program, including program because they were not exposed exposure monitoring, audiometric to an 8-hour TWA of 85 dB, to be at or above 85 dB must be issued and testing, and training for employees with included in the program. fitted with hearing protectors to be worn significant workplace noise exposures. Instruments used for monitoring until the baseline audiogram is obtained. employee exposures must be calibrated Baseline audiograms taken before the EFFECTIVE DATE: This final rule is to ensure that the measurements are effective date of the amendment are effective April 7,1983. Baseline accurate. Since calibration procedures acceptable as baselines in the program audiograms must be completed by are unique to specific instruments, if the professional supervisor determines March 1,1984. See Supplementary employers should follow the that the audiogram is valid. The annual Information for details on effective audiogram must be conducted within dates. manufacturer’s instructions to determine when and how extensively to calibrate. one year of the baseline. It is important FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: to test hearing on an annual basis in James Foster, Director, Office of Audiometric Testing order to identify changes in hearing Information and Consumer Affairs, Audiometric testing not only monitors acuity so that protective follow-up Occupational Safety and Health employee hearing acuity over time, but measures can be initiated before hearing Administration, Room N-3637, U.S. also provides an opportunity for loss progresses. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution employers to educate employees about b. Audiogram evaluation. Annual Avenue, NW., Washington, D.C. 20210, their hearing and the need to protect it audiograms must be routinely compared Telephone (202) 523-8148. The audiometric testing program to baseline audiograms to determine Copies of any portion of the record, includes baseline audiograms, annual whether the audiogram is accurate and including the5 Regulatory Analysis, may audiograms, training and follow-up to determine whether the employee has be obtained by contacting: Docket procedures. The audiometric testing lost hearing ability (that is, if a standard Officer, Docket No. OSH-11, Room S - program should indicate whether threshold shift (STS) has occurred). An 6212, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 hearing loss is being prevented by the effective program depends on a uniform Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, employer’s hearing conservation and protective definition of STS. STS is D.C. 20210, Telephone (202) 523-7894. program. Audiometric testing must be defined in the amendment as an average Federal Register / Vol. 48, No. 46 / Tuesday, March 8, 1983 / Rules and Regulations 9739 shift in either ear of 10 dB or more at average noise levels of 85 dB or above Recordkeeping 2000,3000 and 4000 Hz. An averaging until they receive their baseline Noise exposure measurement records method of determining STS was chosen audiograms. Hearing protector use is must be kept for two years. Records of because it diminishes the number of also mandatory for employees who have audiometric test results must be persons falsely identified as having STS incurred standard threshold shifts, since maintained for the duration of who are later shown not to have had a these workers have demonstrated that employment of the affected employee. significant change in hearing ability. they are particularly susceptible to Audiometric test records must include If an STS is identified, employees noise. the name and job classification of the must be fitted or refitted with adequate Employees should decide, with the employee, the date, the examiner’s hearing protectors, shown how to use help of a person who is trained in fitting name, the date of acoustic or exhaustive them, and required to wear them. In hearing protectors, which size and type calibration, measurements of the addition, employees must be notified protector is most suitable for their background sound pressure levels in within 21 days from the time the working environment. The protector audiometric test rooms, and the determination is made that their selected should be comfortable to wear employee’s most recent noise exposure audiometric test results showed an STS. and offer sufficient attenuation to Some employees with an STS may need measurement. prevent hearing loss. Employees must be to be referred for further testing if the II. Introduction professional determines that their test shown how to use and care for their results are questionable or if they have protectors and must be supervised on Noise, or unwanted sound, is one of an ear problem of a medical nature the job to ensure that they continue to the most pervasive occupational health caused or aggravated by wearing wear them correctly. problems. It is a by-product of many hearing protectors. If the suspected Hearing protectors must provide industrial processes. Sound consists of ^. medical problem is not thought to be adequate attenuation for each pressure changes in a medium (usually related to wearing protectors, employees employee’s work environment. The air), caused by vibration or turbulence. must merely be informed that they