Understanding audiogram patterns is essential for EHS managers who review occupational audiometric surveillance results. This guide covers pre-employment baseline assessment: what it looks like on an audiogram, what it means clinically, what OSHA 1910.95 obligations it triggers, and the required employer response. Note that audiogram interpretation in the context of OSHA compliance always requires involvement of a licensed Professional Supervisor — a licensed audiologist, otolaryngologist, or other physician. The EHS manager's role is to understand the pattern well enough to act appropriately and ensure timely PS review.
Soundtrace provides audiometric testing supervised by a licensed audiologist who reviews all audiograms, identifies STSs, and makes clinical determinations — ensuring employer compliance with every 1910.95 audiometric obligation.
What Is Pre-Employment Baseline Assessment?
A pre-employment audiogram is a hearing test conducted before a new hire begins working in a noise-hazardous environment, establishing their hearing status at or near hire. Under OSHA 1910.95(g)(5)(ii), the baseline audiogram must be obtained within 6 months of the worker's first exposure at or above the 85 dBA action level. Conducting the test before the first shift in a noise-hazardous area — or within the first days of employment — provides the cleanest baseline and the strongest WC defense foundation.
Clinical Significance
The pre-employment audiogram reveals the worker's pre-occupational hearing status. EHS managers reviewing pre-employment audiograms should understand: (1) pre-existing high-frequency hearing loss may indicate prior occupational noise exposure or non-occupational factors that complicate future WC apportionment; (2) a cookie-bite or low-frequency pattern may suggest hereditary hearing loss; (3) asymmetric thresholds (significant difference between ears) warrant Professional Supervisor review and may indicate prior acoustic trauma, asymmetric noise exposure, or medical conditions.
All clinical interpretations of occupational audiograms — including determinations of audiogram pattern, work-relatedness, and STS confirmation — must be made by the Professional Supervisor (licensed audiologist, otolaryngologist, or other physician) under OSHA 1910.95(g)(3). EHS managers should understand these patterns to recognize when PS review is needed and to act on PS findings promptly, not to replace the PS role.
OSHA 1910.95 Implications
The pre-employment audiogram becomes the OSHA compliance baseline against which all future STSs are calculated. Its timing matters: testing must occur before significant occupational noise exposure at the new facility to avoid contaminating the baseline with TTS or new occupational exposure. OSHA requires 14 hours of quiet before baseline testing. An employee who begins work in a noise-hazardous area on Monday and has their baseline audiogram on Friday — after 40 hours of exposure — has a contaminated baseline that cannot be reconstructed. See: audiometric testing for employers: complete guide.
Required Employer Response
The 6-month window is a maximum, not a target. Testing at or near hire — before any significant occupational noise exposure — provides the cleanest baseline. Scheduling baseline testing as part of new hire onboarding before the first shift on the production floor is best practice.
Pre-employment audiograms with any elevated thresholds, asymmetry, or unusual patterns should be reviewed by the Professional Supervisor before the worker begins employment. Document the PS finding. Pre-existing hearing loss is not a reason to exclude the worker from employment, but it is a reason to document their pre-occupational status thoroughly.
A missing baseline audiogram cannot be reconstructed after exposure begins. The 6-month window gives operational flexibility, but the risk of a late or missed baseline — both the citation risk and the WC defense loss — far outweighs any convenience gained by delaying the test.
Audiologist-supervised audiometric testing with automatic STS detection
Soundtrace audiometric testing is supervised by a licensed audiologist who reviews every audiogram, identifies all STSs, and makes clinical determinations — ensuring your program meets every 1910.95 requirement.
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A pre-employment audiogram is a hearing test conducted before a new hire begins working in a noise-hazardous environment, establishing their hearing status at or near hire. Under OSHA 1910.95(g)(5)(ii), the baseline audiogram must be obtained within 6 months of the worker's first exposure at or above the 85 dBA action level. Conducting the test bef
The pre-employment audiogram becomes the OSHA compliance baseline against which all future STSs are calculated. Its timing matters: testing must occur before significant occupational noise exposure at the new facility to avoid contaminating the baseline with TTS or new occupational exposure. OSHA re. The Professional Supervisor must review all audiograms with significant findings to determine STS status and work-relatedness.
The Professional Supervisor — a licensed audiologist, otolaryngologist, or other physician — must review any audiogram with clinically significant findings. OSHA 1910.95(g)(3) requires PS involvement in all STS determinations and medical referral decisions. EHS managers should not attempt to interpret audiogram patterns independently.