What comes to mind first is the space required to properly store paper-based records. Some organizations have had to resort to paying for storage units that provide the necessary extra space to securely house paper records.

With digital records, there are no space limitations. Filtering through the information to find what you need is also much more convenient with the advent of electronic record keeping. Precise information can be obtained immediately with a search query in a database for a specific employee’s name, ID number, and date range. Doing the same is significantly more tedious when using paper records. You must be highly organized to find needed data when searching through thousands, or even tens-of-thousands, of paper records potentially going back decades.

Turnover happens, and roles change within all levels of an organization, especially during the 30 years that OSHA mandates your records be kept. This lengthy time frame can result in a ton of records, especially for companies with high turnover rates. An employee may have only worked for your organization for a couple of months, but their hearing test data must be maintained with the same regard as your most tenured workers. The people administering your program can also exit your company, or the program may expand to a level where additional help is needed. Electronic records make the management of a hearing conversation program more straightforward for the people maintaining it today, and for years to come.