Hearing protector fit testing (HPFT) has gained acceptance in occupational hearing conservation programs (HCP) following efforts to standardize administration of HPFT and the development of new HPFT systems. In August 2023, the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), the University of Texas at Dallas, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) organized the First International Symposium for HPFT. The Symposium’s contents were summarized in the Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics. The NIOSH hearing loss prevention cross-sector council developed recommendations for how to integrate and implement HPFT in an HCP. In early 2025, NIOSH published a scientific update for HPFT, and in June 2025, NHCA published a position statement on HPFT. The Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) has developed new materials and training for occupational hearing conservation professionals. NHCA HPFT task force members are developing an American National Standard, Hearing Protection Fit Testing Program: Methods and Guidance. This paper will present the outcomes from previous work and will propose future work to facilitate the widespread adoption of fit testing.
DiFrancesco et al. (Wed,) studied this question.