We certainly could have designed INTEGRAfit to test at frequencies in addition to or other than 500 Hz. So why didn’t we?
In talking with those persons most likely to use INTEGRAfit (nurses and safety managers), we learned that they want a system that is simple to use, gives accurate results, and is not time-consuming. Nurses and Safety Managers are busy people who have a lot on their plate in addition to hearing conservation activities. Nurses in particular are strapped for time. Those nurses conducting their own audiometric testing for OSHA/MSHA compliance purposes do not have a lot of time to spend on REAT testing. So we designed a system to deliver accurate results in very little time and is simple to use. After significant thought and discussion with other professional hearing conservationists, we decided to test only at 500 Hz. Data generously provided by Michael & Associates – an independent acoustical measurement laboratory – indicates that testing at 500 Hz results in a PAR about 5 decibels lower than would be measured if multiple test frequencies were used. In other words, INTEGRAfit is actually
