2003 Federal OSHA Hearing Regulation changes (applicable to ALL states):
On July 1, 2002, OSHA published a final rule on the criteria for identifying employees who experience hearing loss (ie., a “shift” in hearing) and must be recorded on the OSHA 300 Log which became effective nationwide on January 1, 2003. The full text of the Rule was published in the Federal Register/Vol. 67, No. 126/Monday, July 1, 2002 (starting on page 44037) – see link below. It reads, in part:
An employee will qualify for recording if he/she experiences a 10dB STS, when compared to the “baseline” and has 1) an average hearing level in the ear the STS occurred in of 25dB or more at 2, 3, and 4K Hz, and 2) the loss is work-related. A physician or other licensed health care professional (ie., audiologist) can determine if the hearing loss is not work-related. Age adjustment of the STS is optional.
Helpful links for specific areas of interest:
- Federal OSHA – Hearing: Federal OSHA “Noise Exposure Standard”
- California OSHA – Hearing: California OSHA “Control of Noise Exposure”
- Federal OSHA – Effective 2003 Hearing
- Federal OSHA – Respirator
- California OSHA – Respirator
- Federal MSHA – Hearing: “Occupational Noise Exposure Standard”
- General Hearing Conservation Information – National Hearing Conservation Assoc.
- NIOSH Information – National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health