Archive
July 2026
26 guides published this month.
Audiogram Review: Who Qualifies as a Reviewing Professional?
OSHA 1910.95 requires a qualified professional to review problem audiograms. Who counts, what they check, and how the referral process works.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationHearing Conservation Training: The 8 Topics 1910.95(k) Requires Annually
OSHA 1910.95(k) mandates annual hearing conservation training covering eight specific topics. Here's what each one must include to hold up under audit.
6 min read Read →Hearing ConservationEmployee Refuses an Audiogram: What Employers Can and Can't Do
An employee won't take their hearing test. What 29 CFR 1910.95 requires, what discipline is defensible, and what documentation protects the employer.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationOSHA Noise Monitoring: Dosimeter vs. Sound Level Meter
Dosimeter or sound level meter for OSHA 1910.95 noise monitoring? Compare use cases, accuracy, and when each instrument is the right call.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationHearing Protection NRR Derating: What the Label Doesn't Tell You
The NRR on a hearing protector's box overstates real-world attenuation. Learn OSHA's derating methods and how to size protection correctly.
6 min read Read →Hearing ConservationAudiometric Booth Requirements: ANSI S3.1 Background Noise Limits
What ANSI S3.1 requires for audiometric test booth background noise, how it differs by frequency, and how to verify a booth is compliant.
4 min read Read →Hearing ConservationAudiogram Age Correction: When OSHA's Appendix F Applies
How Appendix F age correction works in OSHA's hearing conservation rule, when employers can apply it, and how it changes an STS calculation.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationWhat Is a Standard Threshold Shift? STS Math, Explained
How OSHA's standard threshold shift is calculated, with worked examples, age correction, and why the 10 dB average trips a retest.
4 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingWhat Is a Breath Alcohol Technician? BAT Certification Explained
What a Breath Alcohol Technician does under 49 CFR §40.213, how BAT training and qualification work, and and why there is no such thing as a "DOT-certified" technician.
5 min read Read →OSHA ComplianceOSHA Recordkeeping: When an STS Becomes a 300 Log Entry
How a standard threshold shift becomes a recordable OSHA 300 Log case under 29 CFR 1904.10, including age correction and deadlines.
5 min read Read →Spirometry & Fit TestingSpirometer Calibration Check: 3-Liter Syringe Procedure
Step-by-step spirometer calibration syringe check procedure: what to connect, how many strokes to run, and the ATS/ERS accuracy tolerance to check readings against.
4 min read Read →Spirometry & Fit TestingRespirator Fit Testing: Qualitative vs Quantitative Methods
The difference between qualitative and quantitative respirator fit testing under 29 CFR 1910.134 Appendix A, and which method applies when.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationOn-Site vs Clinic Hearing Testing: OSHA Program Comparison
How on-site and clinic-based audiometric testing compare for OSHA hearing conservation programs — cost, coverage, and scheduling tradeoffs.
5 min read Read →Calibration & InstrumentsIntoxilyzer Calibration & Accuracy Checks: What Employers Should Know
What happens during Intoxilyzer calibration and accuracy checks, how often DOT programs need them, and who can perform the service.
5 min read Read →Calibration & InstrumentsAudiometer Calibration: At Least Once Per Year (OSHA, ANSI)
ANSI S3.6 audiometers must be calibrated at least once per year: a daily functional check, annual acoustic check, and exhaustive calibration every two years.
5 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingDOT Alcohol Testing: Screening vs Confirmation Tests
How DOT breath alcohol screening and confirmation tests differ under 49 CFR Part 40, what triggers a confirmation test, and what results mean.
5 min read Read →OSHA ComplianceBuilding a DOT Workplace Alcohol Testing Program From Scratch
The building blocks of a DOT-compliant workplace alcohol testing program under 49 CFR Part 40 — pool, policy, BAT staffing, and testing site.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationBaseline Audiogram Rules: Deadlines and Exceptions Explained
The 6-month baseline audiogram deadline, the 14-hour quiet period, and the mobile-van exception under 29 CFR 1910.95, explained plainly.
5 min read Read →Hearing Conservation15 Signs Your Hearing Conservation Program Needs an Audit
Fifteen warning signs your hearing conservation program has a compliance gap, from missing baselines to unreviewed standard threshold shifts.
6 min read Read →OSHA ComplianceSimplifying OSHA Training for a Safer Workplace in Cincinnati
Learn how OSHA training helps create safer workplaces in Cincinnati and what employers need to know about compliance requirements and employee safety standards.
4 min read Read →OSHA ComplianceUnderstanding OSHA Compliance: A Friendly Guide for Businesses
Learn what OSHA compliance means for your business and how to meet workplace safety requirements to protect your employees and avoid penalties.
5 min read Read →Spirometry & Fit TestingCommon Mistakes When Using Fit Testing Supplies and How to Avoid Them
The fit testing mistakes that invalidate a respirator fit test under OSHA 1910.134: expired solutions, wrong protocol, skipped pre-test checks.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationOSHA Hearing Conservation Checklist: Annual Audiograms
1910.95 checklist: audiometric tests take place within 6 months of first exposure (baseline), then must be repeated at least annually. STS, training, records.
7 min read Read →Spirometry & Fit TestingOccupational Spirometry: Keeping Your PFT Results Defensible
Calibration verification, technician training, single-use consumables, and test quality — the practices that make workplace spirometry stand up to scrutiny.
5 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingDOT Breath Alcohol Testing: What a Compliant Program Needs
Qualified BATs, an evidential breath tester on the conforming products list, calibration checks with dry-gas standards, correct forms, and the 15-minute confirmation rule — the moving parts of 49 CFR Part 40 alcohol testing.
6 min read Read →Calibration & InstrumentsAudiometer Calibration: What OSHA and ANSI Actually Require
Annual acoustic calibration, functional checks, ANSI S3.6, and booth requirements under ANSI S3.1 — what keeps your audiograms defensible and your program out of trouble.
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