How Our Client Turned a $16K OSHA Fine Into a Compliance Success Story

Before Partnering with Soundtrace

Two years ago, one of our now clients found themselves in the crosshairs of OSHA.

An inspection at one of their locations uncovered missing audiometric tests and records for 5 out of 200 employees, a gap that ultimately cost them a $16,000 fine.

The root cause? They were relying on different provider (tablet-based testing system) and had no real visibility into their compliance percentage. Without a centralized way to track testing schedules, results, and records, they realized it was easy for a few employees to get missed.

The Unannounced Reinspection

Fast forward two years.

The same OSHA officer showed up unannounced, intent on finding out whether this location had tested all of their employees in a 12 month period, or whether they were still at risk. The OSHA officer’s review found every employee’s test was up to date. Every employee needed to have been tested within the past 12 months.

Had they failed, the stakes were much higher this time: a repeat violation fine of over $175,000.

This Time, Things Were Different

Between their first violation and the reinspection, the company shifted to Soundtrace to streamline how they tested employees, tracked testing, and stored records. 

Here’s what they had in place by the time OSHA arrived:

• Centralized, cloud-based compliance dashboard that showed their real-time compliance percentage across all locations.
  
  
• Automated reminders and scheduling to ensure no employee’s annual audiometric test was overlooked.
  
  
• Instant access to digital test records, eliminating the need to dig through paper files or outdated spreadsheets.
  
  
• Early STS detection alerts that flagged employees showing shifts in hearing thresholds, allowing action before those changes became recordable.
  
  

Instead of scrambling for paperwork or chasing down test dates, the company simply pulled up their Soundtrace dashboard.

When the OSHA officer reviewed their records, the outcome was clear—they had achieved full compliance.

From Fine to Confidence

After the first fine, the company decided they weren’t going to take any chances the next time around. With Soundtrace, they had:

• Total visibility into compliance status.
  
  
• One-click reporting to satisfy OSHA record requests in minutes.
  
  
• Peace of mind knowing every employee’s test was tracked and up-to-date.
  
  

When the unannounced inspection came, they walked in confident, and walked out violation-free.

Why 100% OSHA Compliance Matters in Hearing Conservation Programs

For industries covered by OSHA’s hearing conservation program, compliance isn’t optional, it’s required.

Failing to maintain proper records or missing even a few employee tests can result in:

• Significant fines (up to $175,000 for repeat violations)
  
  
• Damaged employee trust
  
  
• Increased administrative burden during inspections
  
  

A centralized compliance solution like Soundtrace ensures that records are complete, accessible, and audit-ready at any time.

Avoid OSHA Fines: Schedule Your 15-Minute Compliance Review

If you’ve had a hearing conservation program violation, or you’re not confident you could pass an unannounced OSHA inspection, we’re happy to help support you..

Contact us using the form below or schedule a free 15-minute consultation to review your program, identify compliance gaps, and learn how Soundtrace can eliminate them before the next reinspection: Schedule Here