Archive
October 2026
19 guides published this month.
After a Confirmed STS: The Follow-Up Actions OSHA Requires
What 29 CFR 1910.95(g)(8) requires after a confirmed standard threshold shift: written notice, protector refitting, and referral, with deadlines.
6 min read Read →OSHA ComplianceOccupational Health Program Budget: Line Items That Actually Matter
What drives occupational health program cost: per-test fees, program administration, and the recordkeeping time that most budgets leave out entirely.
5 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingDoes a BAT Have to Be Your Employee? Contract BAT and Service Agent Rules
Under 49 CFR Part 40, a breath alcohol technician can be a contractor. What that means for employer liability, qualification checks, and audit exposure.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationMobile Hearing Testing During Seasonal Hiring Surges
OSHA's baseline audiogram clock does not pause for seasonal or temporary hires. How to plan mobile hearing test capacity around a hiring surge.
6 min read Read →Calibration & InstrumentsAudiometer Repair vs. Replace: When to Stop Fixing an Aging Unit
How to decide whether an aging audiometer is worth repairing again, using calibration history, downtime, and ANSI S3.6 compliance risk instead of guesswork.
5 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingDOT Alcohol Test Confidentiality: Who Can See a Result and Who Can't
49 CFR Part 40 Subpart P bars releasing DOT alcohol test results without written consent, with narrow exceptions for lawsuits, NTSB, and state CDL authorities.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationConstruction Noise: Does OSHA's 1926.52 Require the Same Hearing Conservation Program as 1910.95?
29 CFR 1926.52 sets a 90 dBA construction PEL table but no 85 dBA action level or audiometric testing schedule like general industry's 1910.95. Here's the actual gap.
5 min read Read →OSHA ComplianceOSHA Recordable vs. Reportable: The 1904 Decisions Safety Managers Miss
How 29 CFR 1904 separates recordable incidents from reportable ones, the clocks each one runs on, and the gray-area calls (hearing loss, restricted work) that trip up logs.
5 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingDOT BAT Training Cost: In-House Instructor vs Outsourced Course
What DOT breath alcohol technician training actually costs: per-seat course pricing, instructor certification, and the break-even point for training in-house.
4 min read Read →Hearing ConservationMobile Hearing Testing for Limited-English-Proficiency Workforces
What OSHA's hearing conservation training rule requires for employees who don't speak English, and how to run a mobile test day that holds up.
5 min read Read →Calibration & InstrumentsWhat Equipment Does a Mobile Hearing Test Team Actually Bring?
The otoscope, calibrator, and reference gear a mobile audiometric testing team carries, and which checks OSHA 1910.95 actually requires versus best practice.
5 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingDoes Your Company Need a Non-DOT Alcohol Testing Policy?
Why employers outside DOT-regulated transportation still run alcohol testing programs, what rules apply when 49 CFR Part 40 doesn't, and why the two programs can never share a specimen or a form.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationWhat Does an OSHA Hearing Conservation Citation Actually Cost?
Current OSHA penalty amounts for hearing conservation violations under 1910.95, how severity and repeat status change the number, and what drives the gap between a small and a six-figure citation.
5 min read Read →OSHA ComplianceNew Hire Compliance Clocks: Starting OSHA and DOT Tracking on Day One
What starts ticking the moment a new employee is hired under OSHA and DOT rules, and why tracking those clocks from day one beats catching up later.
5 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingHow Long Does DOT BAT Training Take to Qualify a New Technician?
How long it takes to become a DOT-qualified breath alcohol technician: training hours, the seven-mock proficiency demonstration, and what slows it down.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationHow Soon Do Mobile Hearing Test Results Come Back and Get Reviewed?
The real timeline for mobile hearing test results: technician comparison, professional review, and OSHA's 21-day STS notification and 7-day 1904.10 recording deadlines.
6 min read Read →Calibration & InstrumentsHow to Ship Instruments for Calibration Without Wrecking Them
Audiometers and breath testers arrive at calibration labs with cracked housings and loose components more often than it should happen. Here is how to pack and ship them safely.
6 min read Read →Breath Alcohol TestingDoes DOT Require Pre-Employment Alcohol Testing?
DOT requires a pre-employment drug test for safety sensitive employees, but alcohol testing before hire is optional under 49 CFR Part 382. Here is what employers can and cannot skip.
5 min read Read →Hearing ConservationWho Can Legally Perform an OSHA Audiometric Test?
29 CFR 1910.95(g)(3) allows two paths for a technician to administer workplace hearing tests: CAOHC certification or demonstrated competence. Here's the difference and when each applies.
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