UniFirst First Aid + Safety and Soundtrace Partner to Modernize Workplace Hearing Protection and Reduce Hidden Costs of Hearing Loss

ST. LOUIS and CINCINNATI, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UniFirst First Aid + Safety, a leader in first aid, and safety services, and Soundtrace, the market leader in digital hearing conservation technology, today announced a partnership to provide on-site audiometric testing services that help employers meet the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's hearing conservation requirements while protecting their workers from preventable hearing loss.

Why It Matters

Each year, millions of American workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels that can cause irreversible hearing loss. Under OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.95, employers must implement hearing conservation programs, including annual audiometric testing for employees exposed to average noise levels of 85 decibels or more during an 8-hour shift.

For employers who already have hearing conservation programs, maintaining compliance often presents a different set of challenges: coordinating testing across multiple shifts, accommodating tight production schedules, and minimizing downtime. Traditional approaches, such as mobile testing vans, third-party clinics, or inconsistent tablet-based screenings, struggle to meet these modern operational demands. This can lead to missed tests, inefficient scheduling, increased administrative burden, and limited visibility into workforce hearing health Trends.

Even when programs are active, they often rely on static reports with little actionable information, making it difficult to detect early hearing shifts and take timely action. As a result, preventable hearing loss may go unaddressed, raising safety risks, communication issues, and employee turnover. Financially, undetected damage and OSHA violations can lead to penalties up to $165,514 and workers' comp claims exceeding $100,000.

A Smarter Solution

Through this partnership, UniFirst's First Aid & Safety team will offer white glove, on-site audiometric testing services to their customers, powered by Soundtrace's AI-driven technology platform. This service allows employers to complete OSHA-mandated annual hearing tests conveniently at their facilities, reducing administrative burden and employee time away from Work.

Key benefits include:

• Convenience: On-site testing during work hours limits downtime.
• Compliance Confidence: Automated, OSHA-compliant recordkeeping.
• Early Detection: AI-powered technology identifies shifts before they become permanent.
• Trusted Providers: Delivered by UniFirst's experienced nationwide team.

"OSHA's hearing conservation requirements are critical for worker health, but many employers struggle to complete annual testing efficiently," said David Stover. "With this partnership, we're making compliance easier than ever—bringing trusted audiometric testing directly to the jobsite."

"Our mission at Soundtrace is to prevent avoidable hearing loss," said Jeff Wilson, CEO of Soundtrace. "By combining our technology with UniFirst's service reach, we're redefining what effective, compliant hearing conservation looks like."

About UniFirst First Aid + Safety

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, UniFirst First Aid + Safety, is a subsidiary of UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF), which manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing and floorcare products, with 260 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations and 14,000 employee Team Partners. For more information, contact UniFirst First Aid + Safety at 800.869.6970 or visit www.unifirst.com/firstaid.

About Soundtrace

Soundtrace is a hearing conservation technology company helping employers protect workers from occupational hearing loss. With digital testing, predictive insights, and seamless compliance tools, Soundtrace is transforming hearing health from an annual task into a continuous safety advantage. Visit www.soundtrace.com.

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Soundtrace, Inc.

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SOURCE Soundtrace Inc.