Hi, I’m MU54, a mobile unit in the Examinetics fleet. I’m one of 130 vehicles that visit our clients to help them with medical screening and compliance testing. Here’s a look into a typical day in my life.
5:00 AM – I wake up in the hotel parking lot. We drove here last night from the airport. The airport parking lot is where I usually sleep between jobs waiting for my next operator. My operator, a technician named Mateo, came to the airport yesterday to prep for today’s job. He inspected the inventory, made sure everything is in working order and did a safety check. Then we drove to the hotel to stay overnight and be ready for an early morning start.
Mateo is joined this morning by another technician Camille, who arrived in town last night. We will be doing a two-person job – while Mateo does hearing testing in the back of the unit, Camille will perform respirator fit testing in the client’s office. It is not unusual for us to get up before sunrise. We often start early to accommodate our clients’ work schedule and the number of people needing testing.
6:00 AM – Mateo and Camille do some additional prep for today’s job. They double check to make sure they have all their necessary respirator fit testing equipment and supplies, like the PortaCount machine and fit testing adapters. All of the hearing testing equipment is accounted for.
Mateo then calls the client to let them know we are on the way. They have already touched base a few days before to discuss the details of our visit so everything should run smooth when we arrive.
6:30 AM – We arrive at the client’s facility. It’s a food manufacturing facility…people food, yuck…give me some oil and diesel any day. Anyway, the client has found a nice parking lot spot for me to sit while Camille and Mateo get ready to work.
Mateo lowers my stabilizer to prevent rocking back and forth. He also runs a polarity check to ensure I’m attached to the correct power source so my electrical system isn’t fried and I don’t get hurt.
It’s important everything is up to OSHA standards, so Mateo uses a special machine called the “Bio Betty” which validates OSHA standards on the four audiometers. While Betty is doing her thing, Mateo checks the wire connectivity and response switches to assure there isn’t any static. Concurrently, he’s calibrating the ANM (Ambient Noise Monitor) to ensure all sounds outside my walls are kept to a minimum. He’s so good at doing multiple things that I sometimes have to remember he is a human and not a machine like me.
Before the first group, Mateo cleans me up to makes me spotless and shiny for the clients.
Meanwhile, Camille is inside the client’s facility, setting up the PortaCount and calibrating that equipment to ensure everything runs smoothly.
When Camille and Mateo have finalized their preparation, they let the client contact know we are ready to see the first participants. This is my favorite part. Time to go to work!
8:00 AM – Mateo is really good at getting employees on and off and helping things run efficient for the client. In 20 minutes, four participants run through the test, train & counsel process. Inside my body the employees watch a training video, take a hearing test in a separate sound-proof booth and get counseling. This helps our clients stay compliant with the OSHA requirements of a Hearing Conservation Program.
Meanwhile, Camille is fit testing employees who wear facemasks to stay safe. The respirator fit process is very different from hearing, so she can only test one person every 20 minutes. Camille’s main job is to make sure the mask fits snugly against the participant’s skin. She watches as the participants place their hands over the filter. If the mask collapses, there’s a seal! After the seal is confirmed, Camille walks the participant through several exercises that mimic conditions or situations they may come across while wearing a respirator.
12:00 PM – Phew! We are halfway done for the 8-hour shift and so far, so good! Camille and Mateo are going to take a break. They take Camille’s car and visit a nearby mom & pop eatery to enjoy local flavor.
1:00 PM - Back to testing! This afternoon is not as intense as the morning. Since most of the participants tested in the morning, there are a smaller number of employees remaining that need a test.
3:00 PM – We’re done and ahead of schedule! Mateo and Camille meet with our client contact to review everything that happened today and discuss the follow up procedures. Then they give me a cleaning so I look my best. Mmm, I love the smell of Armor All.
4:00 PM – We are officially done for the day. My techs unwind by hitting the town to see some of the sites and experience local culture. After a bit, they return to the hotel for some much needed sleep.
7:00 PM – I’m comfortable in the hotel parking lot, so I take a snooze in preparation for the new adventure tomorrow. Good night!
Meet some of the technicians I get to interact with on a regular basis as I serve our clients around the United States.
5 Questions with Jennifer Snider
5 Questions with Regina Gilley
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