WAC 296-27-01113
Recording criteria for cases involving
occupational hearing loss. (1) Basic requirement. You must
record a hearing loss case on the OSHA Log if an employee's
hearing test (audiogram) reveals that a recordable threshold
shift (RTS) in one or both ears has occurred.
(2) Implementation.
(a) How do I evaluate the current audiogram to determine
whether a recordable threshold shift has occurred?
(i) If the employee has never previously experienced a
recorded hearing loss, you must compare the employee's current
audiogram with that employee's baseline audiogram. If the
employee has previously experienced a recorded hearing loss,
you must compare the employee's current audiogram with the
employee's revised baseline audiogram (the audiogram
reflecting the employee's previously recorded hearing loss
case.)
(ii) The employee has a recordable threshold shift when:
• There is a change in the hearing threshold, relative to
the baseline audiogram for that employee, of an average of 10
decibels (dB) or greater at 2000, 3000, and 4000 hertz (Hz) in
one or both ears.
AND
• The employee's overall hearing loss (threshold) is 25
dB or greater (averaged at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz) in the
same ear as the change.
Note:
Audiometric test results reflect the employee's overall hearing ability in comparison to audiometric zero.
(b) May I adjust the current audiogram to reflect the
effects of aging on hearing? Yes. When you are determining
whether an RTS has occurred, you may age adjust the employee's
current audiogram results by using Tables A-1 or A-2, as
appropriate, in Appendix A of this chapter. You may not use
an age adjustment when determining whether the employee's
total hearing level is 25 dB or more above audiometric zero.
(c) Do I have to record the hearing loss if I am going to
retest the employee's hearing? No, if you retest the
employee's hearing within thirty days of the first test, and
the retest does not confirm the RTS, you are not required to
record the hearing loss case on the OSHA 300 Log. If the
retest confirms the RTS, you must record the hearing loss
illness within seven calendar days of the retest. If
subsequent audiometric testing indicates that an RTS is not
persistent, you may erase or line-out the recorded entry.
(d) Are there any special rules for determining whether a
hearing loss case is work-related? No. You must use the
rules in WAC 296-27-01103 to determine if the hearing loss is
work-related. If an event or exposure in the work environment
either caused or contributed to the hearing loss, or
significantly aggravated a preexisting hearing loss, you must
consider the case to be work-related.
(e) If a physician or other licensed health care
professional determines the hearing loss is not work-related,
do I still need to record the case? No. If a physician or
other licensed health care professional determines that the
hearing loss is not work-related or has not been significantly
aggravated by occupational noise exposure, you are not
required to consider the case work-related or to record the
case on the OSHA 300 Log.
(f) How do I complete the OSHA 300 Log for hearing loss?
When you enter a recordable hearing loss case on the OSHA 300
Log, you must check the 300 Log column for hearing loss.