Why is Audiometry Test Required for Industrial Workers?

Businesses often conduct an audiometry test for workers when occupational noise hazards exceed the recognized standard exposure. Companies conduct such tests annually or once every two years as per local occupational safety jurisdiction requirements.

Any audiologist in Melbourne categorically advises employees to use Personal Hearing Protection (PHP) to reduce hearing loss. Doctors encourage workers to participate in audiometric testing to certify the effectiveness of hearing protection solutions.

How is Audiometric Testing Effective?

Doctors conduct audiometric tests for varying frequencies and both the ears. Audiologists determine workers’ hearing levels with an audiometer. The test involves a simple procedure of receiving a series of different tones – the participant needs to respond, indicating that they heard the tone.

At different sound levels, doctors present the tones and examine multiple times to identify the lowest level at which the participant can hear. The lowest level of the individual, known as the threshold limit, is compared to the actual baseline test. Thus, the sharpness and acuity of employees’ hearing over time get monitored.

Audiometric testing identifies –

• A temporary loss before it becomes permanent – thereby providing time to apply remedial steps.
• Progressive noise, i.e., induced hear loss before it becomes an impairment.

Do Audiometric Tests Proffer Benefits?

Routine audiometric check-ups identify people who are at risk of significant hearing loss. The tests identify changes in their hearing threshold over time and thereafter recommends the implementation of appropriate treatment plans. The treatments that employers undertake typically include – reduction of noise in that particular area, providing a higher class of hearing protection, and ensuring that the employees use the protective shield properly.

Effective audiometric tests are best conducted at least a few hours into the participant worker’s shift. It helps in identifying Temporary Threshold Shift (TTS). It shows if the PHP and noise reduction strategies are working effectively. If not, employers take immediate corrective action. It also assists in identifying if there is a need for diagnosis of potential medical problems, apart from workplace hearing loss, that might affect a person’s ability to hear.

Doctors believe that audiologists should control the test environment to conduct an audiometric test effectively.