DOEHRS-HC — the Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System, Hearing Conservation module — is the DoD enterprise platform that stores military audiometric and noise exposure records for servicemembers across all branches. For civilian employers who hire veterans, this system has direct implications for workers’ compensation defense: it is the authoritative source of a veteran employee’s pre-employment occupational noise history. OSHA 1910.95 governs civilian HCPs; DOEHRS-HC is what employers need to understand about the military half of a veteran worker’s audiometric history. According to the CDC, approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous occupational noise annually — a number that includes significant military-to-civilian transitions in high-noise manufacturing sectors.
A veteran who had served 22 years in the Army before transitioning to a civilian manufacturing role filed a WC hearing loss claim against his civilian employer 6 years after hire. His military audiometric history was subpoenaed from DOEHRS-HC during WC discovery. The records showed progressive high-frequency loss throughout his military service, with a documented 4 kHz notch present at the time of separation. The civilian employer’s pre-employment audiogram — conducted on day one — matched the DOEHRS-HC discharge audiogram exactly, establishing that all measurable NIHL predated civilian employment. The WC claim was denied.
If you hire veterans in noise-exposed roles and haven’t thought about DOEHRS-HC, you’re leaving the most important piece of their occupational hearing history on the table — both as a WC defense resource and as a program design consideration for your HCP.
What DOEHRS-HC Is and What It Contains
DOEHRS-HC is the DoD enterprise information system for recording and tracking military hearing conservation program data. All active-duty military audiometric testing, noise exposure assessments, and hearing protection records are stored in DOEHRS-HC, which is maintained by the Defense Health Agency (DHA). The system contains, for each servicemember:
- Entry baseline audiogram conducted at accession
- Annual monitoring audiograms from throughout service
- Noise exposure records from occupational assignments
- Hearing protection device use and fit records
- Medical referrals triggered by significant threshold shifts
- Separation audiogram conducted at discharge
Military Audiometric Record Lifecycle
The records in DOEHRS-HC follow servicemembers from accession through separation. The separation audiogram is the most practically important record for civilian employers — it represents the definitive documentation of the servicemember’s hearing status at the point they left military service and entered the civilian workforce.
Civilian Employer Access to DOEHRS Records
Civilian employers cannot directly access DOEHRS-HC. The records are protected under DoD privacy and HIPAA regulations. Veterans who want their own records can request them through:
- DD Form 2870 — Authorization for Disclosure of Medical or Dental Information
- VA records request — Veterans who have VA records may be able to obtain audiometric history through the VA
- Branch-specific records requests — Each military branch has procedures for records requests by former members
- WC litigation discovery — In workers’ compensation proceedings, DOEHRS records can be obtained through legal discovery and subpoena
WC Implications for Civilian Employers
DOEHRS-HC matters for civilian employers in hearing loss WC litigation in two ways. First, if a veteran employee files a WC hearing loss claim, DOEHRS-HC may show that substantial NIHL predated civilian employment, enabling apportionment and potentially defeating the claim. Second, if a veteran employee has military hearing loss records but the civilian employer does not have a pre-employment audiogram on file, the employer has no documented baseline to compare against the military record — leaving the claim indeterminate rather than defensible.
Pre-Employment Audiogram and DOEHRS
The most important action a civilian employer can take when hiring veterans in noise-exposed roles is conducting a pre-employment audiogram before the first noise-exposed work shift. When that audiogram matches the DOEHRS-HC discharge audiogram:
- It establishes that all measurable NIHL predated civilian employment
- It enables full apportionment of WC claims to prior military service
- It creates a documented civilian baseline that gives the HCP program accurate STS detection from the first annual audiogram
Without the pre-employment audiogram, the employer cannot match their records against DOEHRS and cannot establish what hearing existed at hire — the most critical element in a WC defense argument.
Frequently Asked Questions
DOEHRS-HC is the DoD enterprise system for military hearing conservation records. It contains entry baseline audiograms, annual monitoring audiograms, noise exposure records, HPD use documentation, and separation audiograms for all servicemembers across military branches.
No. Civilian employers cannot directly access DOEHRS-HC. Veterans can request their own records through DD Form 2870, the VA, or branch-specific procedures. In WC litigation, records can be obtained through legal discovery and subpoena.
When a veteran develops occupational hearing loss and files a WC claim, DOEHRS records establish what hearing loss existed at military separation. A pre-employment audiogram that matches the DOEHRS discharge audiogram proves the hearing loss predated civilian employment — enabling apportionment and potentially defeating the WC claim.
Pre-employment audiograms that pair with DOEHRS records
Soundtrace’s platform conducts pre-employment audiograms before first noise exposure, stores them with 30-year retention, and provides the documentation chain needed to match against military DOEHRS records when WC claims arise.
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