Ask the Expert—Don’t fall for all red flags
Q: A sales rep insisted that I had to recalibrate the audiometer in my practice every year or be subject to a possible OSHA fine. Is this true?
A: Annual recalibration by be recommended by the device manufacturer or the FDA, but it would not be an OSHA matter leading to a fine.
In the heat of persuasion or a sales pitch, people will often reach into the alphabet soup of federal regulators and pull out OSHA as justification. When this happens do this:
- Ask yourself if the issue is truly an occupational safety and health related matter; if not call their bluff. (Having an uncalibrated audiometer in your practice is not good, but it is certainly not a hazard to your employees.)
- Request the OSHA reference in writing. Don’t let the persuader get off the hook so easily. If it is an OSHA regulation, it will be in writing, somewhere. A salesman touting a true OSHA regulation will readily have that material.
For more on dubious OSHA claims, read “I heard that . . . but is it really an OSHA matter?”
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David LaHoda
David LaHoda, the managing editor of Medical Environment Update and OSHA Watch, has produced healthcare training videos and consulted for medical practices and ambulatory healthcare facilities.
David has written 196 posts.
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