[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 30, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 30CFR62.172]

[Page 416]
 
                       TITLE 30--MINERAL RESOURCES
 
  CHAPTER I--MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
 
PART 62--OCCUPATIONAL NOISE EXPOSURE--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 62.172  Evaluation of audiograms.

    (a) The mine operator must:
    (1) Inform persons evaluating audiograms of the requirements of this 
part and provide those persons with a copy of the miner's audiometric 
test records;
    (2) Have a physician or an audiologist, or a qualified technician 
who is under the direction or supervision of a physician or audiologist:
    (i) Determine if the audiogram is valid; and
    (ii) Determine if a standard threshold shift or a reportable hearing 
loss, as defined in this part, has occurred.
    (3) Instruct the physician, audiologist, or qualified technician not 
to reveal to the mine operator, without the written consent of the 
miner, any specific findings or diagnoses unrelated to the miner's 
hearing loss due to occupational noise or the wearing of hearing 
protectors; and
    (4) Obtain the results and the interpretation of the results of 
audiograms conducted under this part within 30 calendar days of 
conducting the audiogram.
    (b)(1) The mine operator must provide an audiometric retest within 
30 calendar days of receiving a determination that an audiogram is 
invalid, provided any medical pathology has improved to the point that a 
valid audiogram may be obtained.
    (2) If an annual audiogram demonstrates that the miner has incurred 
a standard threshold shift or reportable hearing loss, the mine operator 
may provide one retest within 30 calendar days of receiving the results 
of the audiogram and may use the results of the retest as the annual 
audiogram.
    (c) In determining whether a standard threshold shift or reportable 
hearing loss has occurred, allowance may be made for the contribution of 
aging (presbycusis) to the change in hearing level. The baseline, or the 
revised baseline as appropriate, and the annual audiograms used in 
making the determination should be adjusted according to the following 
procedure:
    (1) Determine from Tables 62-3 or 62-4 the age correction values for 
the miner by:
    (i) Finding the age at which the baseline audiogram or revised 
baseline audiogram, as appropriate, was taken, and recording the 
corresponding values of age corrections at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz;
    (ii) Finding the age at which the most recent annual audiogram was 
obtained and recording the corresponding values of age corrections at 
2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz; and
    (iii) Subtracting the values determined in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of 
this section from the values determined in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this 
section. The differences calculated represent that portion of the change 
in hearing that may be due to aging.
    (2) Subtract the values determined in paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this 
section from the hearing threshold levels found in the annual audiogram 
to obtain the adjusted annual audiogram hearing threshold levels.
    (3) Subtract the hearing threshold levels in the baseline audiogram 
or revised baseline audiogram from the adjusted annual audiogram hearing 
threshold levels determined in paragraph (c)(2) of this section to 
obtain the age-corrected threshold shifts.