1910.95(h)(5): Audiometer calibration
Key takeaways
- 1910.95(h)(5) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart G).
- Related part: 1910.95(h) Audiometric test requirements (1 citations).
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What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.95(h)(5) ("Audiometer calibration") is one requirement inside 1910.95 Occupational noise exposure, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart G). It includes 3 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(5) Audiometer calibration.
(i) The functional operation of the audiometer shall be checked before each day's use by testing a person with known, stable hearing thresholds, and by listening to the audiometer's output to make sure that the output is free from distorted or unwanted sounds. Deviations of 10 decibels or greater require an acoustic calibration. Open (h)(5)(i)
(ii) Audiometer calibration shall be checked acoustically at least annually in accordance with appendix E: Acoustic Calibration of Audiometers. Test frequencies below 500 Hz and above 6000 Hz may be omitted from this check. Deviations of 15 decibels or greater require an exhaustive calibration. Open (h)(5)(ii)
(iii) An exhaustive calibration shall be performed at least every two years in accordance with sections 4.1.2; 4.1.3.; 4.1.4.3; 4.2; 4.4.1; 4.4.2; 4.4.3; and 4.5 of the American National Standard Specification for Audiometers, S3.6-1969. Test frequencies below 500 Hz and above 6000 Hz may be omitted from this calibration.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.95.
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OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.95(h)(5).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.95(h) Audiometric test requirements 1 citations
- 1910.95(h)(1) 1 citations
- 1910.95(h)(4)
- 1910.95(h)(5)(i)
- 1910.95(h)(5)(ii)
- 1910.95(h)(2)
- 1910.95(h)(3)
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About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.95 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.