Table 1.
Cost calculator categories, factors, and equations used for the overall assessment of hearing conservation program (HCP) costs at metals manufacturing facilities in the US (N=14).
| Description of Cost | Equation |
|---|---|
| Program management | For each employee with HCP responsibilities, including EHS technicians and managers, nurses, physicians, and administrative workers, if time has not already been counted in other cost categories: Hours per week spent on HCP × hourly rate (including fringe benefits) OR hourly rate (including fringe benefits) × percent of time required × 2000 hours per year |
| Audiometric testing | |
| Nurse’s time for initial employee audiograms | Hourly wage × time per test × tests per year |
| Employee’s time for initial audiogram | Average hourly wage × time per test × tests per year? |
| Nurse’s time for subsequent/follow-up testing | Hourly wage × time per test × tests per year |
| Employee’s time for subsequent/follow-up testing | Average hourly wage × time per test × tests per year |
| Nurse’s time for scheduling/rescheduling audiograms | Hourly wage × time |
| Workers’ Compensation | Cost per person for applicable workers’ comp claims/relevant time frame in years |
| Hearing protection devices (HPDs) | |
| ALL HPDs (except custom molds) | Cost per person × number of employees wearing OR total cost from vendor invoices |
| Custom-molded HPDs | Cost per person × number of employees wearing OR total cost from vendor invoices |
| Training | |
| Cost of materials | Flat rate OR cost per item × number of items produced |
| Employees’ time for initial training | Average hourly wage × time for training in hours × average number of employees completing training per year |
| Employees’ time for toolbox1 training | Average hourly wage × time for training in hours × average number of employees completing training per year |
| Employees’ time for annual training | Average hourly wage × time for training in hours × average number of employees completing training per year |
| Supervisor’s time for training | Average hourly wage × time for training in hours × average number of supervisors conducting training per year x number of trainings conducted per year |
| Fit-testing | |
| Employees’ time for fit-testing | Average hourly wage × time for fit-testing in hours × average number of employees completing fit-testing per year |
| Industrial hygiene | |
| IH consultant | Annual cost per year of all consulting services OR cost per hour × billable consulting hours per year |
| HCP software | Annual cost per year of software license OR cost of license / allowable years of use |
| Employees’ time for sampling | Average hourly wage × employee time required per sample × average number of samples taken per year |
| Hearing loss investigation | |
| Specialty referral fee | Cost per referral to a specialist × number of cases |
| Employee time for hearing loss case | Average hourly wage × time per referral appointment × number of referral cases per year |
| Equipment | |
| Sound level meter/dosimeter calibration | Flat rate, annually |
| Fit-test machine | Flat rate / useful life |
| Audiometer and headphone calibration | Flat rate, annually |
| Audiometric software | Flat rate / useful life |
| Audiometer | Flat rate / useful life |
| Sound level meter/dosimeter purchase | Flat rate / useful life |
| Council for the Accreditation of Hearing Conservationists | |
| Certification | (Cost of course + travel/lodging/per diem + wage cost for week-long course)(Number of certified individuals)/number of years covered |
| 5-year recertification | ([Cost + travel/lodging/per diem + wage cost for one day course][Number of certified individuals])/([number of years covered][5 years]) |
| Corporate software | Flat rate, annually |
1
Toolbox training is an informal shop floor training on a specific topic (e.g., noise and/or hearing loss) that is provided by a worker’s direct supervisor and may occur immediately before or after a work shift or during breaks.