Mass hearing testing doesn’t have to shut down a production floor. In late September, a large food manufacturing facility tested nearly 350 of its employees in just over three days using the WAHTS, and the results show what’s possible for any organization with a big, shift-based workforce.
The Challenge
Testing hundreds of factory employees across multiple shifts is a logistical puzzle. Traditional methods tend to be slow, require dedicated booths, and pull workers away from the line for long stretches. This facility wanted a faster way to get everyone through without disrupting operations.
The Setup
The facility and its on-site occupational health provider ran the event with two four-unit cases of WAHTS units, giving them eight testing stations. Walk-in testing ran from Sunday night through Wednesday afternoon, from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm, so employees on every shift had a chance to participate. The two-hour midday break let the team break for lunch and recharge the units.
Because WAHTS is portable and doesn’t require a sound booth, the whole operation fit into a single conference room in the administrative area of the factory, with a waiting area just outside for employees waiting their turn.
Keeping the Line Moving
The team used the WAHTS’ group testing capabilities to keep throughput high. As soon as one person finished, a team member collected their paperwork, saved their results, and cleaned the equipment. Once the station was ready, the next employee came in from the waiting area. Each hearing test took an average of seven minutes to complete. When testing wrapped up, the on-site nurse entered the results into the provider’s internal database for clinician review.
What Employees Said
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Employees described testing with WAHTS as much faster, much easier, and “100 times better than the old way!”
Run Your Own Event
The facility is already hoping to hold more events like this with its occupational health provider. The same approach can work for any employer that needs to test large groups quickly without sacrificing quality or ease:
• WAHTS units that set up in any available room
• Multiple WAHTS units running in parallel to multiply capacity
• A simple app-based workflow that keeps people moving through
• Flexible hours that reach every shift
Ready to bring this kind of testing to your workforce? Contact us at info@wahtshearing.com to learn how!