US DOL Seeks Public Input: Hearing Loss Evaluation Methods

"The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs is inviting public comment on the comparative reliability and validity of hearing testing methods and best practices for evaluating occupational hearing loss. In a request for information, the OWCP is asking for input from audiologists, otolaryngologists, medical professionals, medical associations, employees, employers, insurance carriers, and other interested parties on the reliability and validity of audiograms compared with other objective tests, including the auditory brainstem response, auditory steady state response, otoacoustic emissions, and others. The agency is also soliciting comments on the current standards for administering these tests and the criteria used to evaluate hearing impairment..."

Link to Tuesday's US Department of Labor news release:

https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/owcp/owcp20260623