OSHA Compliance Services
OSHA compliance services for occupational health programs
Hearing conservation, respirator fit testing, spirometry, audiometer calibration, and the records that go with them. One Cincinnati partner for the testing, the equipment, and the paperwork.
29 CFR 1910.95 · 1910.134 · 1904.10
Questions? Call the office at 513-891-0868.
Occupational health compliance, mapped to the rule
OSHA occupational health compliance is not one task. It is a set of recurring obligations, each tied to a standard: test hearing every year, fit test every respirator wearer, keep audiometers calibrated, and keep the records an inspector will ask for. Employers are held to these standards and choose their own vendors, so the work is compliance-driven rather than optional.
Foster Special Instruments does the testing and calibration side of that work. Our technicians test on site across the Ohio Valley and nationwide, and we calibrate and repair the instruments behind the results. Below is what we do, mapped to the standard it supports.
Most facilities need several of these at once. A plant with noisy production lines and respirator use has an annual audiogram cycle, an annual fit test cycle, and an audiometer that must be calibrated before the audiograms are trusted. Combining those into one scheduled visit with one set of records is usually simpler for the safety lead and easier to defend in an inspection.
What we do, by standard
Hearing conservation program
Employers with workers exposed at or above an 8-hour average of 85 dBA run a hearing conservation program: monitoring, audiometric testing, hearing protection, training, and records. Foster runs the testing side for you, with baseline and annual audiograms, standard threshold shift analysis, audiologist review, and employee notifications.
29 CFR 1910.95
Managed hearing conservation →On-site hearing testing
Our technicians bring calibrated audiometers to your facility and test during the shift, so employees do not travel and production keeps moving. Coverage is nationwide, with the closest crews in the Ohio Valley.
29 CFR 1910.95(g)
On-site hearing testing →Respirator fit testing
Employees who wear a tight-fitting respirator need a fit test before first use, at least annually after that, and when the respirator model or the wearer's face changes. We run quantitative fit tests with OHD equipment and hand you a record for every employee.
29 CFR 1910.134(f)
Respirator fit testing →Spirometry for medical surveillance
When your physician or licensed health care professional calls for pulmonary function testing as part of a medical surveillance program, our technicians perform spirometry on site, in the same visit as hearing and fit testing. Interpretation stays with your health care professional.
On-site testing →Audiometer calibration
An audiogram is only as good as the audiometer behind it. The hearing conservation standard calls for annual acoustic calibration and functional checks, and we calibrate audiometers, booths, and spirometers on site or by mail, for any brand, with a traceable certificate and a reminder before the next due date.
29 CFR 1910.95 Appendix E
Calibration and repair →Recordkeeping and recordability
Audiograms, background noise levels, and the calibration history of the audiometer must be kept, and a work-related standard threshold shift can also be an OSHA recordable hearing loss case once the shift meets the criteria. Our reports show the test result, the shift calculation, and the date the shift was identified, so your safety lead can make the recordability call on the 300 log.
29 CFR 1904.10 and 1910.95(m)
Track every due date in one place
The Foster Compliance Workspace is software that shows who is due for what and why, with the regulation on each row and evidence behind each completion. Pair it with our testing and calibration so annual cycles for audiograms, fit tests, and instrument calibration are visible before they lapse. Each requirement lists the standard behind it, each completion keeps its evidence, and your team sees what is due next without keeping a separate spreadsheet.
See the Compliance Workspace →How it works
- 1
Scope the program
Tell us your headcount, shifts, locations, and which programs apply: hearing, respiratory, medical surveillance. We confirm what is already on file and what is missing.
- 2
Test on site
We schedule the visit, bring calibrated equipment, and test during the shift. Hearing, spirometry, and fit testing can be combined in one trip.
- 3
Keep it current
You receive organized records, and the Compliance Workspace tracks the next due date for every employee and instrument so annual cycles do not lapse.
Common questions
What does OSHA require for a hearing conservation program?
When employee noise exposure reaches an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA, the employer must monitor exposure, offer audiometric testing, provide hearing protection, train employees, and keep records. A baseline audiogram is due within six months of first exposure, then annually.
29 CFR 1910.95
Which OSHA standards does Foster support?
Hearing conservation under 1910.95, respiratory protection fit testing under 1910.134, audiometer calibration under 1910.95 Appendix E, and the hearing loss recording criteria in 1904.10. We also perform spirometry for employers whose medical surveillance programs call for it.
How often is fit testing required?
Before an employee first uses a tight-fitting respirator, at least annually after that, and whenever a different respirator model is used or the wearer's face changes in a way that could affect the seal.
29 CFR 1910.134(f)(2)
Is a standard threshold shift always recordable?
No. A standard threshold shift is a change of an average 10 dB or more at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz in either ear. It becomes a recordable case when the shift is work related and the employee's total hearing level averaged at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz reaches 25 dB or more above audiometric zero in the same ear. Your safety lead or health care professional makes that determination.
29 CFR 1904.10
Do you replace our safety manager or physician?
No. Employers are held to these standards and choose their own vendors and health care professionals. We supply testing, calibration, reports, and tracking. Medical opinions, written programs, and recordkeeping decisions stay with your qualified people.
How long do records have to be kept?
Audiometric test records, including the audiogram, the employee name and job classification, the examiner, the date of the last calibration, and the measured background noise levels, are kept for the duration of the affected employee's employment. Noise exposure measurement records are kept for two years.
29 CFR 1910.95(m)
Can hearing, spirometry, and fit testing happen in one visit?
Yes. Our technicians carry equipment for all three, so one scheduled visit can cover hearing tests, spirometry for employees in medical surveillance, and quantitative respirator fit tests. Each employee leaves with their testing done and you receive records organized by program.
Where does Foster test?
Our on-site crews work across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Tennessee, and nationwide testing is available. Calibration and repair can also be done by mail from anywhere in the country.
What is the Compliance Workspace?
A software product for tracking who is due for what, with the regulation shown on each requirement and an evidence trail behind each completion. It tracks OSHA items such as audiograms and fit tests, plus DOT driver items. It is sold separately from our testing services.
Get your program current and keep it that way.
Send us your headcount and locations and we will scope the visit. Prefer to talk it through? Call 513-891-0868.