Almost half of all adults with noise-related hearing loss work in noisy environments.
Workplace hearing conservation programs are a key first line of defense in preserving hearing health.
OSHA requires that workplaces instate a hearing conservation program when an employee’s noise exposure equals or exceeds an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels.
Hearing conservation programs include exposure monitoring, education and training, providing adequate hearing protectors , and annual occupational hearing testing.
Employers can be responsible for everything from the initial fitting of hearing protectors to coordinating compliant hearing testing. Combining all of these moving parts in one hearing conservation program doesn’t need to be challenging for employers or place an undue burden on employees.
The WAHTS headset combined with our audhere testing software is designed to simplify the hearing testing experience for employers and employees by offering a variety of unique capabilities to improve your operational hearing conservation program.
Hearing test devices should support the mission of hearing conservation: to protect employees from noise-induced hearing loss. This includes ensuring employees are properly fit with adequate hearing protection and have their hearing tested annually.
When evaluating occupational hearing testing solutions, it is important to consider the following capabilities:
The audhere app and WAHTS headset make it easy to test one-on-one or test a group. The app can be used to conduct just hearing testing, just hearing protector fit testing, or both hearing- and fit-testing.
In Automatic mode, individuals progress independently through a self-paced hearing test while monitored by an administrator.
The audhere app includes a module for hearing protection fit testing. Guided steps instruct proper insertion of hearing protection, and the WAHTS headset measures Personal Attenuation Rating. Ensure optimal safety by measuring the sound attenuation of in-ear hearing protectors, an OSHA recommended practice since 2008.
In Manual mode, a test administrator has control over the stimuli presented. The administrator may wish to switch to manual mode if the examinee is confused or is not responding appropriately.