OSHA RELEASES FINAL RULE TO RECORD HEARING LOSS
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a final ruling that revises the criteria for recording work-related hearing loss.
Beginning January 1, 2003, employers will be required to record work-related hearing loss cases when an employee’s hearing test shows a marked decrease in overall hearing. Employers can make adjustments for hearing loss that is caused by aging, can seek the advice of a physician or licensed health care professional to determine whether the loss is work-related, and can perform additional hearing tests to verify the persistence of the hearing loss.
Under the new rule, the criteria will record 10dB shifts from the employee’s initial hearing test when they also result in an overall hearing level of 25dB. The old criteria recorded 25dB shifts.
Visit www.osha.gov for more information.
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