Reporting Requirements and Baselines
SYSTOC handles both OSHA and employee reporting requirements.
An algorithm that explains the requirements for OSHA recordable hearing loss is available here.
Standard Threshold Shift
A change of at least 10 decibels in one or both ears is called a Standard Threshold Shift (STS), and must be reported to the employee.
OSHA-Reportable Hearing Loss
If the employee's total hearing level is 25 dB or more above audiometric zero (averaged at 2000, 3000, and 4000 hertz) and there is also an STS in the same ear(s), then the loss is an OSHA-reportable event. If the hearing loss is considered work related by your clinic physician or audiologist, then it must be recorded on the OSHA 300. If the hearing loss is not considered work related, then the employee must be informed in writing.
Baseline
The baseline is the level of hearing against which future changes are measured. The employee's first audiogram at a company is normally the baseline. If you do not move the baseline after a hearing shift occurs, SYSTOC continues to report the same shift year after year, even if no additional change in hearing has occurred. A better approach is to move the baseline so that you make a new start against which future deterioration can be measured. Ultimately it is the physician's decision whether to move the baseline or not.