Did you know if you plan to conduct audiometric testing or are involved with hearing conservation that you must be certified to do so?
For employers, an effective occupational hearing conservation program (HCP) is implemented to help preserve and protect the hearing of employees who work in jobs that expose them to hazardous noise such as manufacturing, agriculture, mining, military, transportation, construction etc.
If hazardous noises cannot be eliminated, annual hearing testing must be offered to the employees working in an environment at or above 85 dBA TWA.
According to OSHA, these programs need to include 6 important elements:
- Noise measurement
- Noise control
- Audiometric testing
- Hearing protection
- Employee education and training
- Recordkeeping
If you plan on being involved in these elements of the hearing conservation program, you will need to become a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC).
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) 29 Code of Federal Regulation 1910.95(g)(3):
“Audiometric tests shall be performed by a licensed or certified audiologist, otolaryngologist, or other physician or by a technician who is certified by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation or who has satisfactorily demonstrated competence in administering audiometric examinations, obtaining valid audiograms and properly using, maintaining and checking calibration and proper functioning of the audiometers being used.”
These certified personnel may be audiologists, physicians, occupational health nurses, industrial hygienists, human resources directors, workplace safety officers or any person interested in occupational hearing conservation.
These people may be responsible for
- performing pure tone air conduction audiometric testing
- fitting hearing protection devices
- providing education, and
- enforcing hearing conservation program (HCP) compliance
So, what does it take to become certified?
How to become a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist
To become certified, you must complete a 20-hour CAOHC-approved course and pass an exam given at the end of the course.
The certification course is designed to train personnel:
- who will be or are conducting audiometric testing
- who are actively involved in hearing conservation, or
- who supervise hearing conservation programs
Upon successful completion of the course, participants are eligible for certification or recertification through CAOHC, which must be renewed every 5 years.
Completion of a CAOHC-approved course does not automatically grant Occupational Hearing Conservation certification. All students must pass a computer-based examination at the conclusion of the course.
Where can you take a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist training course?
At CNS Occupational Medicine, our CAOHC certification course meets the requirements of the Council for Accreditation in Occupation Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) and will cover all the required hearing conservation topics that will lead to CAOHC certification.
Our course director, Mindy Guillory, is a registered nurse and a Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her Graduate Certificate in Occupational Health Nursing from the University of North Carolina.
Mindy is passionate about Occupational Medicine, hearing conservation, and employee wellness dedicating over 12 years of work in this sector with groups such as the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) and the United States Marine Corps.
Attendees will also be taught how to perform an audiometric hearing test and how to fit employees with hearing protection.
REGISTRATION:
Register and pay and sign-up here.
WHEN:
Certification course (September 7-9, 2022):
September 7-8, 2022 – 8:00am – 5:00pm
September 9, 2022 – 8:00am – 1:00pm
Recertification Course (September 8, 2022 only):
September 8, 2022 – 8:00am – 5:00pm
WHERE*:
CNS Occupational Medicine
151 Koser Rd Lititz, PA 17543
*This is a fully in-person course
COST:
$775 (Certification) or $525 (Recertification)
Includes textbook, study materials, hearing protection devices, and exam fee. Please contact CNS Occupational Medicine if interested in PRIVATE CAOHC Courses for your Company
Local Hotel Accommodations:
Need a place to stay while attending the course? Please follow the links below to find nearby hotels.
If you have any questions about the course, please contact her at: mindy@cnsoccmed.com or 717-839-5466 ext 130.
*Note-CAOHC requires all exams to be taken electronically. You must bring a laptop computer capable of connecting to WiFi with you to the course. The exam can only be taken using either Mozilla Firefox or Chrome browsers. Recertification is required every 5 years.
