ANSI S3.6 and a calibration certificate
OSHA Appendix C points to ANSI S3.6. Ask for the calibration certificate for the exact unit and headphones you will use, with measured levels at each frequency.
Digital audiometer guide
What changes when the audiometer is a tablet app instead of a benchtop box, what OSHA asks of either one, and six things to check before you buy.
Digital vs traditional
The hearing test itself doesn't change. What changes is where results, calibration records and baseline comparisons live.
| Aspect | Traditional audiometer | Digital tablet audiometer |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Dedicated benchtop or portable unit | Tablet app with calibrated headphones |
| Getting results out | Printout, or a cable transfer into desktop software | Synced to a cloud record when the test is submitted |
| Calibration records | Paper certificate from the calibration service | Verification and certificate generated in the app |
| Comparing to baseline | By hand, or in separate software | Automatic in the connected platform |
| Updates | Firmware from the manufacturer, if any | App updates |
| Main risk | Records scattered across paper and PCs | Depends on the vendor keeping the service running |
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95
OSHA doesn't care whether the audiometer is a box or a tablet. It cares about these.
Before you buy
OSHA Appendix C points to ANSI S3.6. Ask for the calibration certificate for the exact unit and headphones you will use, with measured levels at each frequency.
Levels depend on the headphone. Ask which models the audiometer has reference tables for, and whether you can use the headphones you already own.
Appendix E needs a daily functional check and annual acoustic calibration. Look for reminders and records in the software, not a binder.
Narrowband masking in the non-test ear matters when thresholds differ a lot between ears. Check it is available and recorded.
The audiogram only matters once it is compared to baseline. Check the software calculates standard threshold shifts, applies OSHA age correction and tracks the 21-day notice.
Audiograms must be kept for the length of employment. Make sure you can export every record, and ask what happens to your devices and data if the vendor stops supporting them.
AudiVault
An audiometer that generates test tones digitally and records results electronically. Today that often means an app on a tablet with calibrated headphones, rather than a dedicated benchtop unit, with results stored in software instead of on paper.
It can be, if it meets ANSI S3.6, is calibrated with the headphones you test with, and is used in a room within the Appendix D noise limits. Those are the same requirements a benchtop audiometer has to meet.
Yes. OSHA Appendix E applies to every audiometer: a functional check before each day of use, an acoustic calibration at least every year, and an exhaustive calibration at least every two years.
Only if the room you test in stays under the Appendix D background noise limits. Some rooms do without a booth. Measure yours with a sound level meter before deciding.
It depends on the vendor. In 2026 the company behind the hearX hearTest audiometer announced a wind-down of its U.S. operations and said affected devices may stop working once cloud services end. Choose a system that lets you export all of your records.
Bring your current setup to a demo and we'll show where the iPad audiometer and AudiVault fit in.