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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 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.
| 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.
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.
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 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) |
(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.
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.
Soundtrace handles equipment, supervision, STS review, and recordkeeping — your team just runs the tests.
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