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Soundtrace recently presented at Northwestern University through the Northwestern University Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning, one of the nation’s most respected institutions for audiology education, clinical research, and hearing science.
This engagement highlights a broader industry shift: modernizing hearing conservation programs through technology, data visibility, and continuous OSHA compliance under 1910.95 Occupational Noise Exposure standards.
As occupational hearing loss remains one of the most common and preventable workplace injuries in the United States, leading academic institutions are reevaluating how hearing conservation programs should be designed, implemented, and managed.
Occupational noise exposure continues to affect millions of workers across manufacturing, construction, transportation, energy, and industrial sectors. Under OSHA 1910.95, employers are required to implement a compliant hearing conservation program when workers are exposed to noise at or above action levels.
However, many traditional programs still rely on:
• Event based mobile audiometric testing
• Manual documentation processes
• Reactive Standard Threshold Shift identification
• Paper based or fragmented recordkeeping
Top audiology and occupational health programs are now emphasizing a more effective approach:
• Continuous compliance monitoring rather than once a year test events
• Longitudinal hearing data tracking instead of isolated audiograms
• Automated STS detection and reporting
• Centralized OSHA ready documentation
• Technology enabled prevention strategies
Northwestern’s engagement with Soundtrace reflects how next generation compliance platforms are becoming essential tools in modern occupational hearing conservation.
During the presentation, Soundtrace demonstrated how employers can transition from transactional audiometric testing to fully enrolled, technology driven hearing conservation programs aligned with OSHA 1910.95 requirements.
Key capabilities include:
• Cloud connected audiometric testing
• Automated Standard Threshold Shift detection
• Centralized OSHA ready reporting and audit documentation
• Multi site program management dashboards
• Real time compliance visibility for EHS leaders
• Ongoing employee hearing health tracking
For students entering audiology, industrial hygiene, and environmental health and safety roles, these systems represent the operational reality they will increasingly oversee: scalable, data driven hearing conservation programs designed for prevention and not just compliance.
Nationally ranked audiology programs evaluate technology through a clinical, scientific, and regulatory lens. Engagement at this level signals:
• Clinical relevance in hearing health management
• Alignment with OSHA 1910.95 Occupational Noise Exposure standards
• Real world applicability across industrial environments
• Measurable improvements in workforce hearing outcomes
As regulatory scrutiny increases and employers seek more efficient compliance solutions, academic institutions are helping define which hearing conservation technologies will set the new industry standard.
Soundtrace’s presence within this academic environment reinforces its role in shaping the future of occupational hearing conservation.
Traditional mobile testing models were designed for an era focused on episodic compliance. Today’s leading programs prioritize:
• Prevention over reaction
• Program enrollment over one day test events
• Data visibility over scattered PDFs
• Automated compliance workflows over manual tracking
• Long term employee protection over minimum regulatory thresholds
Technology enabled hearing conservation platforms allow employers to move from reactive threshold shift detection to proactive risk mitigation, improving outcomes while strengthening OSHA compliance.
This is the framework now being introduced in top audiology classrooms and adopted by forward thinking employers nationwide.
For safety managers, EHS directors, HR leaders, and compliance teams, modernizing a hearing conservation program delivers measurable benefits:
• Reduced OSHA audit risk
• Faster program administration
• Automated documentation trails
• Centralized multi location oversight
• Improved workforce hearing health outcomes
• Scalable national compliance
As occupational noise exposure regulations remain governed by OSHA 1910.95, organizations that adopt technology driven hearing conservation programs gain both regulatory confidence and operational efficiency.
Early modernization is no longer optional. It is becoming the new industry expectation.
Soundtrace’s collaboration with Northwestern University reflects a broader trend across occupational health and audiology.
The future of hearing conservation is being shaped by clinical science, regulatory rigor, and connected compliance technology, not legacy testing models.
And that future is already entering the workforce.
An OSHA compliant hearing conservation program, governed by OSHA 1910.95, requires employers to monitor occupational noise exposure, provide baseline and annual audiometric testing, implement hearing protection, track Standard Threshold Shifts, and maintain proper documentation for regulatory compliance.
A Standard Threshold Shift, or STS, is a change in an employee’s hearing threshold relative to their baseline audiogram, as defined under OSHA 1910.95. Identifying STS early is critical for preventing permanent occupational hearing loss.
Modern hearing conservation technology automates audiometric testing data collection, STS detection, documentation management, and compliance reporting. This reduces administrative burden while improving accuracy, visibility, and preventative intervention.
Leading audiology and occupational health programs recognize that graduates will manage scalable, multi site compliance systems and not just individual audiograms. Technology driven platforms better reflect real world industrial safety environments.
Employers can modernize by adopting cloud connected audiometric testing, centralized OSHA ready reporting, automated compliance workflows, and longitudinal employee hearing tracking, shifting from event based testing to fully managed hearing conservation systems.
Get a tailored audiometric testing plan built around your workforce and sites.
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