The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) S3.1-R2013 specifies the maximum permissible ambient noise levels (MPANLs) allowed within a test room which will allow hearing threshold measurements down to 0 dBHL (decibel hearing level) when tested with supra-aural earphones. The validity of an occupational audiogram is dependent on several factors, one of which is the ambient noise present in the test environment. In fact, the ambient noise must be significantly below the sound pressure level (SPL) of the test signal ( Williams, 2010). Accurate responses are dependent upon the ability of the listener to distinguish the test signal from background noise in the test room (ambient noise) and the ambient noise in the test space must not influence the test signal. Each of these applications requires standardized audiometric procedures that assure consistent test validity and reliability each time a hearing test is administered.Īudiometry requires the listener to respond to the lowest signal level (softest sound) detected at least 50% of the time (ANSI S3.21, 2004). Workers’ compensation insurance and OSHA injury and illness reports rely on serial audiometric records to determine work-relatedness. Within the context of occupational hearing loss prevention programs, serial audiograms are compared to a baseline audiogram to identify threshold shifts that warrant follow-up for early identification of, and intervention for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Best-practice guidelines are published by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ( NIOSH, 1998). 95 ( OSHA, 1983) for manufacturing and general industry, by the Mine Safety and Health (MSHA) for mining ( MSHA, 2000), and by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for railroad employers (FRA, 2007). In the U.S., audiometric monitoring requirements are specified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Because pure-tone audiometric results can lead to medical and legal decisions, it is critical that the procedures be standardized and comparable when obtained in different settings. and other countries, government regulations, standards, and policies specify the test equipment and test environment criteria used for occupational hearing tests conducted as part of a hearing loss prevention program. Hearing conservation programs monitor the hearing of hazardous noise-exposed workers by measuring air-conduction pure-tone thresholds.
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