Event Calendar
Prev MonthPrev Month Next MonthNext Month
NHCA/CAOHC Webinar: OSHA and the Occupational Noise Standard: Your Questions Answered
Wednesday, April 08, 2026, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT
Category: Webinars

Topic: OSHA and the Occupational Noise Standard: Your Questions Answered

No credits of any kind will be offered for viewing this webinar. This webinar will be recorded.
Register Here!
 

When: Apr. 8, 2026 at 2:00pm ET

CEUs: None

Pricing: Free

About the Webinar: Because OSHA’s noise standards address many of the most noise-hazardous operations in the United States, the agency brings unparalleled insight into high-risk exposures and strategies for effective hearing conservation. In this webinar, our speakers will tackle the key questions below and deliver practical guidance to help you confidently navigate regulatory requirements and strengthen your hearing conservation program.

Moderator: John (Andy) Merkley, AuD, CCC-A, CPS/A

Dr. John 'Andy' Merkley is an occupational audiologist with over 26 years of experience in both clinical and occupational audiology.  He currently works as a contract senior program manager with the Defense Health Agency Hearing Center of Excellence. He holds a Master of Science in Communicative Disorders from Utah State University and a Doctor of Audiology from Central Michigan University. Dr. Merkley is the Director of Education for the National Hearing Conservation Association and is the immediate past Chair of the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) where he represented the Military Audiology Association. He holds the certificate of clinical competence in Audiology (CCC-A), is a certified CAOHC Course Director (CD) and a CAOHC certified Professional Supervisor (CPS/A). 

PRESENTERS FROM OSHA:  

Melanie Hayes, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Dr. Melanie Hayes is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner working at the US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management, Office of Occupational Medicine and Nursing (OOMN). With 26 years of experience as a family nurse practitioner, she has dedicated half of her career to the field of occupational medicine and nursing. In 2021, Dr. Hayes was hired in OOMN as a nurse practitioner medical officer where she is recognized as a subject matter expert in occupational noise exposure, hearing loss prevention, and regulatory compliance within the federal policy landscape. Additionally, her work at OSHA addresses various physical and environmental hazards, including heat and cold stress, as well as ergonomic risks in warehousing and meatpacking facilities. Prior to joining OSHA, she managed a U.S. Navy occupational health clinic for nine years, providing care to workers across a wide array of industries, including shipbuilding, aviation, healthcare, first responders, construction, and childcare. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, she served as the occupational health program manager, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and advising executive leadership on occupational health issues.  

     She is a published author and frequently presents on occupational health topics including at the American Occupational Health Conference, American Association of Nurse Practitioners annual conferences, and the International Hearing Protector Fit Testing Symposium. Dr. Hayes also serves as adjunct faculty and is on the Executive Council for the National Hearing Conservation Association. She is also a member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Fueled by a passion for improving worker health, she actively collaborates with fellow occupational health and safety professionals to drive meaningful advancements in the field.

Yasmine Daniels, PhD, M.Phil, CIH
Dr. Yasmine Daniels is a Certified Industrial Hygienist working at US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), in the Directorate of Enforcement Programs, Office of Health Enforcement. Her work with OSHA includes both her former experience as a Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO), where she conducted occupational safety and health investigations and her current role at the National Office, developing federal policies, coordinating regional efforts and assisting CSHOs and Regional Staff with novel industrial hygiene cases. She has a BA in Chemistry and a Master of Philosophy and PhD in Analytical and Environmental Chemistry. She recently presented at the 50th Annual Conference of the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) this past February, on  OSHA's Recent Interpretative Guidance on the Occupational Noise Exposure Standard, 29 CFR 1910.95; and has also presented at other note-worthy Industrial Hygiene conferences including the American Occupational Health Conference (AOHC) sponsored by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), the quarterly Federal Agency Safety and Health Managers’ Roundtable Meeting hosted by OSHA’s Office of Federal Agency Programs, and webinars sponsored by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). Dr. Daniels is also an adjunct professor of Chemistry and a member of the American Chemical Society and the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

By the end of this presentation, participants should be able to identify answers to the following questions:

1) Please summarize OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit and Action Level as defined in the Noise Standard, and what are the employer obligations at each threshold?
2) What sorts of alternatives to hearing protection has OSHA seen, how do you detect these and what is your response? 
3) What is the OSHA minimum on periodic noise assessments or noise monitoring? OSHA is pretty specific on annual hearing testing, but not as specific on how often a noise hazardous environment needs to be re-evaluated. Do you have any recommendations?” 
4) What types of occupational noise exposures are most frequently identified by OSHA during inspections across regulated industries? And what sorts of violations has OSHA seen? 
5) How does OSHA evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of engineering and administrative controls when assessing compliance? Are there any simple sorts of controls that can be recommended. 
6) How should employers evaluate and document the adequacy of hearing protection devices to ensure compliance with attenuation requirements? Is this audited? Would OSHA look at an adequate PAR as evidence? 
7) Could you give a brief overview of what an OSHA inspection looks like and recommendations on how employers could best be prepared.  If deficiencies are identified, what corrective actions does OSHA generally expect employers to take to demonstrate abatement and ongoing compliance?
8) When assessing recordability, what supporting documentation should employers retain? 
9) Which sectors do you see and what are the most common citations? 
10) We recognized that the noise exposed population is also often hearing impaired; how does OSHA deal within the obligation of keeping employees safe? What is OSHAs recommendation for people who wear cochlear implants or hearing aids?

General disclosure: This webinar is not focused on a specific product or service and there will be no or limited information about similar products or services. The subject relates directly to training methods used in hearing conservation programs and does not endorse or recommend specific products.

Register Here!

Hosted by: