As with all areas of our life, technology continues to provide new methods for performing existing tasks and audiometric testing is no stranger to these strides. Previously, we required a 40 foot trailer to provide the equipment and software necessary to conduct audiometric testing.
Now, with our “boothless” equipment, we’ve gone from a 40 foot trailer to a 21 inch rollaboard and a carry on bag. This cloud-based software, combined with our on-line database, Assessor®, allows our CAOHC certified techs to perform audiometric tests quickly and easily inside your facility; using a touch screen tablet to “tap” their answer.
Why Change to Boothless – From the Employee Perspective?
I’ve used this method of testing for the last 3 years and during that time I’ve consistently heard the following feedback from the employees I’ve tested:
- “This environment is so much quieter. I no longer hear all the ambient noise from outside traffic, plant machinery or my coworkers growling stomach!”
- “The conference room is such a better environment than the trailer.”
- “These headphones make a huge difference – I can hear the tones so much better.”
- “I feel more confident about the results because the environment was much quieter.”
- “Very fast and easy.”
Why Change to Boothless – From a Technology Perspective?
The validity of the GSI AMTAS software, or Automated Method for Testing Auditory Sensitivity, is a proven method based on 15 years of research and development and is now OSHA approved. I have conducted thousands of tests and when comparing the boothless testing results to the previous year’s traditional results, the boothless results are better 90% of the time.
How can that be true? I believe it is a result of the following:
- More accurate test results due to noise reducing headphones;
- Improved employee comfort;
- Testing environment is much quieter;
- Employees maintain their “focus” because they ‘re “driving” the process instead of “waiting” for something to happen and react to;
- Research shows employees have less Standard Threshold Shifts and better results, in general.
What Is Needed for the Testing Environment?
- A quiet room that can accommodate 4 employees, spaced 6 feet apart. Each unit has a microphone that monitors the sound levels in the room during testing and will pause the test if the sound level is too high.
- Up to (4) electrical outlets
- A guest Wi-Fi log in.
How We Can Help
We understand the boothless method is not the right choice for everyone and we will continue to support our fleet for mobile testing. If you would like to discuss how EI can support your team’s hearing conversation initiatives through Boothless or Mobile Auditometric testing, please contact Wendy Loomis at (919) 710-5263 or wloomis@ei1.com.