It Started with a Simple Question: Could We Do Better?
For more than 10 years, Fox Valley Safety subcontracted audiometric testing for our safety consulting customers. Over time, we began recognizing opportunities to improve both the testing experience and the quality of information our customers received.
One of our biggest frustrations was that audiometric testing providers typically delivered generic reports identifying employees with Standard Threshold Shifts (STSs) or other hearing concerns but offered little guidance on what employers should actually do with that information.
We wanted to provide more individualized reporting, with specific findings and actionable recommendations to help employers understand their responsibilities under OSHA’s hearing conservation standard, 29 CFR 1910.95.
We were also seeing a significant number of STSs reported year after year. We suspected that some could potentially be resolved through appropriate Professional Supervisor reviews or baseline revisions. In more than a decade of working with our previous provider, we had never seen a baseline revision performed.
There were also practical concerns with traditional mobile testing vans, including movement as employees entered and exited, background noise, and the inconvenience of sending employees outside in Wisconsin’s unpredictable weather.
We began wondering whether there was a way to address these concerns while providing a more comprehensive service to our customers.
From an Idea to a New Service
When we stumbled across a webinar introducing boothless audiometric testing technology, it immediately caught our attention. We began exploring whether offering testing ourselves would allow us to address the concerns we’d been seeing.
After researching our options, we decided to invest in three WAHTS® boothless audiometric testing systems. We liked the flexibility of being able to conduct testing inside our customers’ facilities rather than relying on traditional mobile testing vans.
Through WAHTS, we were introduced to Occupational Sound Solutions and Dr. Sarah Mouser. We knew that having a qualified Professional Supervisor was essential, but we also wanted our own staff to develop a solid understanding of audiometric testing and hearing conservation.
Three members of our team—myself, Hope Berlin, and Courtney Kaczrouske—completed CAOHC training with Sarah. The training gave us a strong foundation in audiometric testing procedures, recognizing potential testing anomalies, and understanding how test results fit into an employer’s overall hearing conservation program.
We officially began offering audiometric testing in July 2026.
The Things No One Tells You About Audiometric Testing
One challenge we hadn’t fully anticipated was obtaining historical audiometric records from previous testing providers.
Some providers have been reluctant to release customers’ raw audiometric data, even though those records are essential for maintaining continuity in a hearing conservation program. We’ve developed a demand letter that our customers can use to formally request their records when they encounter resistance.
Once the records are obtained, I handle the data conversion and preparation for importing into OccuSound® Nexus, allowing our customers to be as hands-off as possible. We’ve successfully worked with CSV files, Excel spreadsheets, and even Microsoft Access databases. For customers who only have printed audiograms, we also offer manual historical data entry.
Another surprise has been discovering how much can influence the accuracy of an audiometric test beyond an employee’s actual hearing ability.
We’ve encountered employees who have difficulty understanding instructions, experience anxiety during testing, lose concentration, or simply don’t take the testing process seriously. Language barriers can also create challenges, particularly because many of our customers are in manufacturing and employ workers whose primary language isn’t English.
We’ve also been surprised by the differences in how audiometric testing providers handle their reporting and Professional Supervisor reviews. We’ve encountered providers who appear to limit Professional Supervisor reviews to audiograms their systems have already identified as STSs, rather than providing the level of comprehensive oversight we want for our customers.
These experiences have reinforced our belief that administering the test is only one part of providing a quality audiometric testing service. Understanding the results and knowing when something doesn’t look right are equally important.
And sometimes, the difference comes down to something you would never expect.
Sometimes, the Smallest Details Make the Biggest Difference
Our CAOHC training has been invaluable. Having technicians who understand audiometric testing allows us to recognize potential anomalies while we’re still on-site and address them immediately, rather than discovering problems after the testing is complete.
One recent experience really demonstrated the value of that knowledge.
We conducted testing for approximately 50 employees at a manufacturing facility. The previous year, the company had 10 potential recordable STSs that required additional testing. Because it wasn’t cost-effective to bring their mobile testing provider back, those employees had to be sent individually to a local audiologist.
Before we started, the customer’s contact remarked to our technician, Hope, that they expected to have a lot of STSs because they always did.
As testing progressed, Hope reviewed individual results and identified several that warranted immediate retesting. Some employees were nervous, others had difficulty understanding the instructions, and some appeared to lose concentration. She repeated tests using the automatic testing mode when appropriate and switched to manual testing for a few more challenging cases.
She also discovered an issue we never would have anticipated: several employees had tape wrapped around their fingertips, preventing the tablets from consistently registering their responses. Once she identified the problem, she offered employees a stylus to use instead.
By recognizing these issues and addressing them immediately, Hope was able to resolve nearly all of the questionable results while still on-site. Only one employee declined the opportunity for a same-day retest.
After Dr. Mouser completed her Professional Supervisor review, the customer was left with just one potential OSHA-recordable STS requiring further attention—the employee who had declined retesting.
Instead of the numerous potential STSs they had anticipated, the customer received results that had already undergone additional quality checks, without the inconvenience and expense of scheduling numerous follow-up appointments.
Experiences like this have shown us how valuable it is to have knowledgeable technicians who can recognize potential problems and respond while testing is still underway.
More Than a Professional Supervisor
When we first connected with Occupational Sound Solutions, our primary goal was to find a qualified Professional Supervisor to review our audiograms and help us meet OSHA requirements. What we found was much more than that.
Sarah’s understanding of OSHA’s hearing conservation requirements and the responsibilities employers face has been incredibly valuable. She recognizes the significance of a potentially recordable hearing loss case and is willing to investigate employees’ hearing histories and consider appropriate revisions when the circumstances warrant it.
Since launching our service in July 2026, we’ve already had at least a dozen STSs determined to be non-work-related or resolved through appropriate baseline revisions. That has been especially rewarding because improving the accuracy and usefulness of our customers’ results was one of our original motivations for offering testing ourselves.
On the administrative side, I’ve been very impressed with OccuSound® Nexus. Migrating historical audiometric data from previous providers has been surprisingly straightforward once we have the records. The import templates are easy to understand, and if I have questions, OSS is just an email away.
The integration between WAHTS and OccuSound® Nexus is seamless, and the reporting tools make it much easier to organize and present results. We’re able to take the Professional Supervisor’s findings and provide customers with individualized reports that explain what was identified and what actions they should consider taking.
But beyond the technology, it’s the people who have made the biggest difference. Sarah and Jocelyn are always willing to answer questions, share their knowledge, and offer suggestions for improving our services. They’re genuinely enjoyable to work with and have helped us become much more confident in what we’re doing. They always seem to bring a smile to my day!
The Real Reward? Better Answers for Our Customers.
The most rewarding part has been seeing how much more value we’re able to provide our customers.
Instead of simply handing over a report identifying employees with hearing concerns, we can help employers understand what the findings mean, which employees need additional attention, and what steps should be taken next.
Our customers have been thrilled with the convenience of on-site testing, the knowledge of our technicians, and the level of detail in our reporting.
One feature we particularly appreciate is the ability to incorporate the employee hearing health questionnaire electronically into the testing process. Previously, employers had to print, distribute, collect, and follow up on paper questionnaires. Now, employees complete the questionnaire directly on the tablet, and their responses are associated with their audiometric records. This also gives Sarah immediate access to relevant hearing health information when reviewing their results.
WAHTS also supports testing and questionnaires in 10 languages, which is especially beneficial for our manufacturing customers.
We’re able to offer a more convenient testing experience, address many potential testing issues immediately, and provide employers with more comprehensive results and recommendations.
For us, that’s what makes the investment worthwhile. We’re not just offering another service. We’re helping customers manage their hearing conservation programs more effectively.
What We’ve Learned—and What We’d Tell Others
My biggest piece of advice would be to invest in understanding hearing conservation, not just learning how to operate the testing equipment.
It’s easy to think of audiometric testing as a relatively straightforward process: administer the test, generate the audiogram, and send the results to the customer. But there’s so much more involved in providing a quality service.
Having a strong understanding of OSHA’s hearing conservation requirements, recognizing potential testing anomalies, understanding the importance of hearing health histories, and knowing when additional evaluation is warranted can make an enormous difference.
I’d also strongly recommend having a knowledgeable, accessible Professional Supervisor who is willing to answer questions and work collaboratively with you. We’ve learned so much from Sarah and the OSS team, and that relationship has been one of the most valuable parts of our experience.
From a business standpoint, I’d encourage anyone considering this service to think carefully about testing capacity. We currently have three WAHTS systems, which allow us to test approximately 12 employees per hour. Some of our competitors can test closer to 24 employees per hour, but we’ve structured our pricing to account for that difference and remain competitive.
In hindsight, we might have considered purchasing additional systems from the start. However, we’re comfortable with our initial investment and will likely expand our testing capacity once we’ve recouped those costs.
Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of reporting. Employers need more than test results. They need to understand what those results mean and what they’re supposed to do next.
If you’re considering getting into audiometric testing, think about the entire process—from the employee’s testing experience through the employer’s final follow-up actions.
That’s where you have the opportunity to make a real difference.