Baseline and Annual Audiograms

For any Gwinnett County employer running a hearing conservation program, baseline and annual audiograms are the backbone of OSHA compliance — they are the only way to actually know whether a worker’s hearing is changing over time. Hearing Aid Factory Outlet provides both baseline and annual workplace audiometric testing for employers throughout Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, and Metro Atlanta.

What Is a Baseline Audiogram?

A baseline audiogram is the reference test every future result gets compared against. Under OSHA’s general-industry noise standard, employers generally must establish a valid baseline within six months of an employee’s first exposure at or above the 85-decibel, 8-hour time-weighted-average action level — or within one year if mobile testing is used, provided the employee wears hearing protectors in the interim.

Getting the baseline right matters more than any single annual test. If the baseline is inaccurate — taken right after a loud commute, or without a proper quiet period beforehand — every future comparison inherits that error. A rushed or poorly-conditioned baseline is one of the most common reasons a hearing conservation program produces confusing or unreliable results down the line.

What Is an Annual Audiogram?

After the baseline is established, covered employees are generally tested at least annually for as long as they remain in the program. Each annual result is compared against that employee’s own baseline — not against a generic standard — to identify a standard threshold shift (STS): an average change of 10 decibels or more at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz in either ear.

An STS doesn’t automatically mean something has gone wrong administratively. It means the program’s built-in follow-up process needs to engage — often including a hearing-protector review, retraining, employee notification, or referral. Our full breakdown of that process is on our OSHA hearing conservation testing page.

What the Test Includes

• Pure-tone air-conduction thresholds for each ear, at the frequencies OSHA specifies
• Employee identification and test-history documentation
• Comparison against the employee’s available baseline or prior results
• Clear flagging of any result that needs review, retest, or referral
• A report format your safety or HR team can actually use, not a raw data dump

Before the Test

A few things make testing day go smoothly and keep results valid:

• Provide prior audiograms when available, so we’re comparing against the right baseline
• Share an accurate employee roster and job or exposure-group information
• Designate a contact responsible for receiving and acting on results
• Have employees follow any quiet-period instructions beforehand — OSHA generally calls for 14 hours without exposure to workplace noise (hearing protectors can substitute for part of that window) so the test reflects true hearing, not temporary noise fatigue

When a Change Appears

A shift on an annual audiogram does not automatically establish cause, and it is not a diagnosis. OSHA’s process allows for a retest within 30 days when an annual audiogram suggests a standard threshold shift, and that retest can be used as the annual result if it no longer shows an STS. Results that raise a genuine clinical concern — not just a workplace-screening flag — warrant referral for a full audiological evaluation, and we’ll tell you plainly when that’s the case rather than trying to manage it within a screening test.

On-Site and Mobile Scheduling

Testing can often be arranged at your facility when workforce size, travel distance, scheduling, and site conditions make it practical — see our mobile audiometric testing page for details. Multiple shifts can usually be organized into blocks that minimize employee downtime, and smaller groups or individual employees are welcome to test in our sound-treated booth at our Lawrenceville clinic instead.

Baseline Testing for New Hires

If a new employee’s role involves noise exposure at or above the action level, their baseline needs to happen early — many employers choose to build it into the hiring process itself. See our pre-employment hearing testing page for how that works.

Why Employers Choose Hearing Aid Factory Outlet

Testing is led by Gwen Cantrell, BC-HIS, a board-certified hearing instrument specialist and five-time Best of Gwinnett winner (2021–2025) in the Audiology Practice category. As a family-owned, independent practice, we’re able to offer flexible scheduling, a genuine sound-treated testing booth, and mobile on-site options — without the long lead times and rotating technicians common at large national testing vendors. We’re also open seven days a week, which makes fitting testing around shift work considerably easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a baseline the same as a pre-employment hearing test?
Not necessarily. A pre-employment test may document hearing for hiring or placement purposes, while an OSHA baseline specifically serves as the formal comparison point inside a hearing conservation program — though the two are often combined for new hires in noise-exposed roles.

How often are annual audiograms required?
Covered employees are generally tested at least annually for as long as they remain exposed at or above the action level.

Can we use audiograms from a previous testing provider?
Often, yes — that depends on their validity, documentation, testing conditions, and how your program is structured. Provide all available records and we’ll review them.

What happens if someone shows a standard threshold shift?
OSHA allows a retest within 30 days, which can replace the flagged result if it no longer shows a shift. Beyond that, your program’s established follow-up process applies.

Do employees need to do anything to prepare?
Ideally, avoid loud noise exposure for roughly 14 hours before testing (hearing protection can substitute for part of that window) so results reflect true hearing rather than temporary noise fatigue.

Who is responsible for notifying employees and managing follow-up?
The employer remains responsible for the complete hearing conservation program, including employee notification and required follow-up steps.

Can you test at our facility instead of your clinic?
Often, yes, depending on workforce size, scheduling, and site conditions — see our mobile audiometric testing page.

How do we get started?
Send us your employee count, worksite location, shift schedule, and whether prior audiograms are available, and we’ll put together a testing plan and quote.