FSS participates in the Walls and Ceilings Industry Hearing Conservation Program (WCHCP) to safeguard the hearing of employees exposed to high noise levels, thereby complying with State of Oregon requirements (OR-OSHA rule OAR 4371).

 

On the day you start employment with FSS, you will be required to have an audiogram along with the required drug testing at the clinics listed in your new hire packet.

 

The WC-HCP program includes four components: Baseline hearing testing / training; annual testing; follow-up for employees with Standard Threshold Shifts and On-going recordkeeping
 

Employees must be advised to avoid activities that expose them to high levels of noise, whether occupational or non-occupational, for the 14-hour period prior to the test. If noise exposure can’t be avoided, hearing protection must be used during the exposure prior to the test.

By means of the employee’s signature on the initial audiometric testing record, the WCHCP Administrator will obtain consent to retain hard-copy and electronic records of each employee’s hearing tests and to release them to other employer-members of the Walls and Ceilings Industry Association upon request of an authorized employer-member representative. The Administrator will also provide a wallet-sized card, in conjunction with the Walls & Ceilings Drug-Free Workplace Program, which documents the date of the hearing test.

Annual Testing
Following baseline testing, employees of employer-members who are exposed to noise levels greater than 85 dBA TWA must also undergo annual audiometric testing.

The results of annual audiometric tests are compared to baseline test results by a licensed or certified audiologist. If the comparison shows a Standard Threshold Shift, the employer will be notified within 14 days. The employer-member must either accept the results or have the employee retested within 30 days. The tested employee must also be notified of a Standard Threshold Shift within 21 days of the audiometric test showing the shift.

Employees with documented hearing losses must be fitted with hearing protectors, trained in their use and care, and required to use them. Employees who were already using hearing protectors must be refitted and retrained.

The WC-HCP Administrator will maintain WC-HCP audiometric testing records (audiograms) and make them available to the employer-members, following authorization by tested employees.

 

These records will include:

 

• Name and job classification of the employee

• Date of the audiogram

• The examiner’s name

• Date of the last calibration of the audiometer

• The employee’s most recent noise exposure measurement

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These records will be obtained from the audiometric testing agency and maintained for at least two years. Individual employees may obtain copies of their records upon written request to the Administrator.

Questions about the Walls and Ceilings Industry Hearing Conservation Program or requests for copies of hearing test results should be directed to:

Administrator
Walls and Ceilings Industry Hearing Conservation Program
7220 SW SYLVAN CT
PORTLAND, OR 97225-3742
TEL: 503-297-4113
FAX: 503-297-4748
Email: jana@wolfgangassociates.com