21 NCAC 64 .0210. CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS

(a)  The Board interprets the term "certified technician" as used in G.S. 90-294(f) to be synonymous with "certified audiometric technician", "certified Industrial audiometric technician", or similar designations used for non-licensed audiometric technicians in industry.

(b)  Certified audiometric technicians may perform air conduction, threshold audiograms required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) for industrial hearing conservation programs, provided that the following three conditions are met:

(1)           The audiometric technician has received appropriate instruction, including supervised practicum, in the principles and specific techniques for testing hearing in the industrial environment.  The standards established by the Council for Accreditation of Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) for certified occupational hearing conservationists meet this training requirement.  Where other training programs are used, the curriculum shall be in writing and available for inspection by the Board of Examiners.

(2)           Supervision of the audiometric technician must be vested in a licensed physician or licensed audiologist.

(3)           A licensed audiologist who supervises the activities of audiometric technicians, whether as employer or program consultant, must provide sufficient on-site supervision of the technicians to ensure continuous adherence to the standards of G.S. 90-301 and G.S. 90-301A as well as relevent OSHA regulations.

 

History note:        Authority G.S. 90-304(a)(3);

Eff. August 1, 2002.