Bringing audiometric testing in-house eliminates mobile van scheduling, reduces per-employee test time to under 10 minutes, and gives your EHS team real-time control over compliance. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(3), automated testing does not require an on-site certified technician — a remote supervising audiologist or OHC satisfies the requirement. This guide covers exactly how in-house testing works, what OSHA requires, how costs compare, and how to run a rollout.
Soundtrace is a purpose-built in-house audiometric testing platform — portable ANSI-certified audiometers with Invisible Booth™ ambient noise monitoring, remote OHC/audiologist supervision, automated STS calculation, and OSHA 1910.95-compliant recordkeeping.
In-house audiometric testing with a platform like Soundtrace typically takes 6–10 minutes per employee, requires no sound booth, no on-site certification, and costs 40–60% less per test than annual mobile van programs at scale.
OSHA requirements for in-house audiometric testing
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95(g) requires audiometric testing for all employees whose TWA noise exposure equals or exceeds 85 dBA. Key specifications: baseline audiogram within 6 months of first exposure at or above the action level (1 year if mobile van is used); annual audiograms thereafter; calibrated audiometer meeting ANSI S3.6; ambient noise in the test room must not exceed ANSI S3.1 limits (or use insert earphones); a licensed audiologist, otolaryngologist, or physician must be responsible for the program; technicians performing tests must be OHC-certified or the audiometer must be used in automated mode under professional supervision.
▶ Bottom line: OSHA explicitly allows automated audiometric testing without an on-site certified technician, provided a supervising audiologist or OHC is responsible for the program. This is what makes in-house testing practical for facilities without dedicated audiology staff.
Time: how long does in-house testing actually take?
| Method | Time per Employee | Scheduling | Productivity Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile van (annual) | 30–45 min | Coordinated in advance, fixed date | High — line stoppage or shift disruption |
| Off-site clinic | 2.5–3+ hrs (travel + wait) | Individual appointments | Very high |
| In-house (Soundtrace) | 6–10 min | Flexible — staggered during shifts | Low — shift change, breaks, pre-shift |
▶ Bottom line: In-house testing’s time advantage compounds at scale. With 500 enrolled employees, saving 20 minutes per person is 167 hours of recovered production time per testing cycle.
Certification: does your staff need to be trained?
Under OSHA 1910.95(g)(3), automated audiometric tests can be administered by any employee — no OHC certification required — as long as a supervising audiologist, otolaryngologist, or physician is responsible for the program and reviews results. What your test administrator needs: basic training on audiometer setup and headphone positioning; knowledge of when to flag an employee for re-test; and understanding of how to handle STS notifications. Soundtrace provides this training in a virtual session that typically takes under two hours.
Sound booth: what if you don’t have one?
Soundtrace follows ANSI S3.1 permissible background noise levels — the audiometer includes a calibrated microphone that monitors ambient noise in real time during every test. If ambient noise exceeds ANSI S3.1 limits, the system flags the test and prompts a re-test rather than producing a potentially invalid result. Soundtrace’s Invisible Booth™ technology automates this monitoring, so no manual noise checks or sound booth are required. Insert earphones can provide additional attenuation of ambient noise for facilities with higher ambient noise floors.
▶ Bottom line: A quiet office, break room, or conference room is sufficient for OSHA-compliant testing. No construction, no dedicated space, no booth purchase required.
Cost comparison: in-house vs. mobile van
| Cost Factor | Mobile Van (Annual) | In-House (Soundtrace) |
|---|---|---|
| Per-test cost | $35–$75/employee | Typically lower at scale |
| Lost productivity | High (30–45 min/employee) | Low (6–10 min/employee) |
| Missed employees | Common (absences on van day) | Rare (flexible scheduling) |
| Re-test for missed employees | Off-site clinic (2.5+ hrs) | Next available 10-min slot |
| STS follow-up turnaround | Days to weeks (off-site review) | Same day (remote audiologist review) |
How to run an in-house testing rollout
(1) Kick-off: client success and audiology team align on employee roster, testing locations, and rollout timeline. Historical audiogram data is migrated into the system. (2) Equipment shipping: audiometers shipped to each facility location, pre-calibrated and ready to test. (3) Administrator training: virtual session for designated test administrators (1–2 hours). (4) Phased testing: scheduled location by location, coordinated around shift patterns. Baseline testing for new enrollees is prioritized. (5) Ongoing: the system tracks each employee’s 12-month testing due date and sends automated alerts before deadlines lapse.
▶ Bottom line: Most Soundtrace clients complete their first full-facility testing cycle within 4–8 weeks of kick-off. Each location typically needs 2–3 days of testing to clear its full roster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. OSHA 1910.95(g)(3) explicitly permits automated audiometric testing to be performed by trained non-certified technicians, provided a licensed or certified audiologist, otolaryngologist, or physician is responsible for overseeing the program. Remote supervision satisfies this requirement.
A quiet office or conference room with a door that closes is sufficient. Soundtrace follows ANSI S3.1 permissible background noise levels — the audiometer monitors ambient noise in real time before and during every test and flags any environment that exceeds allowable limits.
With in-house testing, missed employees can be tested at the next available slot — typically within days. With mobile van programs, missed employees typically require an off-site clinic visit, which takes 2.5+ hours.
OSHA 1910.95(h) requires annual exhaustive calibration and daily acoustic calibration checks. Soundtrace handles this automatically — a replacement unit is shipped before annual calibration expires. You swap units and ship the old one back. No testing downtime.
Ready to bring testing in-house?
Soundtrace handles equipment, supervision, STS review, and recordkeeping — your team just runs the tests.
Get a Free Quote