Employees enrolled in the Hearing Conservation Program must undergo regular audiometric testing for hearing loss. Testing is performed by audiologists from UCSD Occupational and Environmental Medicine (COEM).
Employees receive 3 kinds of audiometric exams:
- Baseline audiogram: This test establishes the employee's "hearing threshold," or the softest sounds that he or she can hear at each frequency. It should be performed as soon as possible (preferably within 60 days) after the employee's first exposure to potentially hazardous noise.
- Annual audiograms: These annual exams check for change in the hearing threshold. If they indicate any hearing loss, the audiologist will recommend approriate hearing conservation measures, training activities, or follow-up evaluations.
- Post-employment audiogram: This test is performed when an employee leaves the job or transfers to a workplace without noise exposure. It provides a record of any changes in the hearing threshold during employment.
Department supervisors are responsible for scheduling audiometric exams. The cost of testing is covered by the employee's department. Follow these steps to schedule an exam:
- Call COEM, (619) 543-7060.
- Specify that the results be sent to Environment, Health & Safety, Mail Code 0958.
- Schedule the audiometric test for the beginning of the workday, or at least 14 hours after exposure to workplace noise. This reduces the possibility that the employee will be suffering from a temporary "threshold shift." If the 14-hour break isn't possible, hearing protection may be used to provide the pre-test exposure control.
If you are a UCSD employee and have questions, contact the Hearing Conservation Program coordinator, (858) 534-1075.
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