Section 296-27-01113. Recording criteria for occupational hearing loss cases.

(1) You must record a hearing loss case on the OSHA 300 Log by checking the column for hearing loss if an employee's hearing test (audiogram) reveals that a recordable threshold shift (RTS) in one or both ears has occurred.

(2) To determine whether a RTS has occurred, you must evaluate the employee's current audiogram with their baseline audiogram. If the employee has previously experienced a recorded hearing loss, you must compare the employee's current audiogram with the audiogram reflecting the employee's previously recorded hearing loss case.

Note:	Audiometric test results reflect the employee's overall hearing ability in comparison to audiometric zero. Therefore, using the employee's current audiogram, you must use the average hearing level at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz to determine whether or not the employee's total hearing level is 25 dB or more.

(3) To determine whether RTS has occurred, you may age adjust the employee's current audiogram results by using Tables A-1 or A-2 in Appendix A of this chapter. You may not use an age adjustment when determining whether the employee's total hearing level is 25 dB or more above audiometric zero.

(4) You are not required to record the hearing loss case on the OSHA 300 Log if you retest the employee's hearing within thirty days of the first test, and the retest does not confirm the RTS. If the retest confirms the RTS, you must record the hearing loss illness within seven calendar days of the retest. If subsequent audiometric testing indicates that an RTS is not persistent, you may erase or line-out the recorded entry.

(5) You must consider the case to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the hearing loss or significantly aggravated a preexisting hearing loss.

(6) You are not required to consider the case work-related or recordable if a physician or other licensed health care professional determines that the hearing loss is not work-related or has not been significantly aggravated by occupational noise exposure.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, and 49.17.050. WSR 15-11-066, § 296-27-01113, filed 5/19/15, effective 7/1/15. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 07-03-163, § 296-27-01113, filed 1/24/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 03-24-085, § 296-27-01113, filed 12/2/03, effective 1/1/04; WSR 02-22-029, § 296-27-01113, filed 10/28/02, effective 1/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, [49.17].040, and [49.17].050. WSR 02-01-064, § 296-27-01113, filed 12/14/01, effective 1/1/02.]

RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, and 49.17.050. WSR 15-11-066, § 296-27-01113, filed 5/19/15, effective 7/1/15. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 07-03-163, § 296-27-01113, filed 1/24/07, effective 4/1/07; WSR 03-24-085, § 296-27-01113, filed 12/2/03, effective 1/1/04; WSR 02-22-029, § 296-27-01113, filed 10/28/02, effective 1/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, [49.17].040, and [49.17].050. WSR 02-01-064, § 296-27-01113, filed 12/14/01, effective 1/1/02.