The hearing ability of your workforce is an important physical aspect that must be assessed in pre-employment assessments. It has a sizeable impact on the concentration level, communication skills, and personal safety in the workplace. This becomes an even more vital requirement for workers in mining, construction, manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare industries. They are constantly exposed to loud machinery, industry vehicles, construction tools, and sudden impactful noise on normal working days.

As a result, the importance of hearing tests as a part of the pre-employment assessments is growing. Employees need to have perfect hearing ability to clearly hear and follow instructions, easily communicate with team members, and respond quickly to alarms, warning signs, or changes in the surroundings. Work-related hearing loss is something that develops over time and can go unnoticed if not monitored and treated in a timely manner. In some instances, workers might not realize any hearing deficiencies until conversations become difficult; warning signs are missed, and other such experiences.

As per Safe Work Australia, workers must not be exposed to noise above 85 decibels on average in an 8-hour shift, while peak noise above 140 decibels can lead to instant hearing loss. Considering this, the demand for occupational health providers offering audiometry tests is growing. Knight Health is one of the reputed health clinics in Australia offering a range of pre-employment assessments, including hearing and audiometry tests.

An audiometry test helps in establishing the hearing baseline for workers, monitors changes over time, and helps employers to ensure that the current noise controls are effectively working. With Knight Health, Australian businesses can protect their workforce from any hearing loss with regular monitoring and promote a safer workplace environment.

What Is a Hearing Test?

A hearing test measures the ability of a worker to hear sounds at different pitches and decibels. As part of the standard procedure followed by the majority of companies conducting hearing tests, the worker sits in a quiet room with headphones or earphones. Sounds are played in each ear, and the worker responds to them by raising a hand or giving some other indication when a sound is heard.

These results are then recorded on an audiogram reflecting the softest sounds that a person can hear at varying frequencies. Based on this, trained professional service providers like that of Knight Health evaluate any possibility of a hearing loss and determine the requirement for further assessments if any. Hearing tests are generally quick, not painful, and non-surgical, causing no discomfort to the worker or the employer.

What Is an Audiometry Test?

An audiometry test utilizes a more structured approach for conducting hearing assessments by measuring a person’s response to different sound frequencies. One of the most common methods identified in workplace health programs is pure-tone audiometry. This method focuses on evaluating the hearing capacity of workers for the quietest sounds at different pitches and records the results for future comparisons.

This is often referred to as the baseline test, where the assessments create a starting point for comparison, before or right after a worker begins working in a noisy environment. Future tests are then compared with the results of this first test to identify changes that might be linked to workplace noise or other evolving factors.

According to the AIOH guidelines, workers who are required to wear regular hearing protection in Australian workplaces must have the baseline audiometry tests done once every 3 months and monitoring tests at least once every 2 years.

Benefits of Regular Audiometry Tests

Every test happens for a reason and brings several benefits for the employer as well as the workers. Here are the benefits that regular audiometry tests can offer:

  • Before a worker notices any hearing changes personally and it gets too late, small changes in hearing are detected early.
  • The results of the hearing assessment can indicate when noise controls or workplace hearing protection needs to be reviewed by the employer.
  • Ensuring proper hearing of the workers helps workers better understand the workplace instructions, signals, and conversations.
  • Hearing defects can increase the likelihood of accidents or workplace injuries, which is why hearing tests can work as a safety measure.
  • Timely hearing assessments and accurate records reflect the business’s commitment to ensuring workers’ health and safety.
  • Workers identified with any hearing problems can be further assessed for early treatments and any required workplace adjustments.

How Knight Health Can Help Make Hearing Health a Part of Workplace Safety

Knight Health, a reputed health clinic, has a team of occupational health providers who can conduct a range of pre-employment medical screenings tailored to your specific role and industry requirements. Their assessments include ECG tests, pre-employment medicals, health screenings, audiometry tests, drug and alcohol testing, respiratory testing, musculoskeletal assessments, etc.

This health clinic helps Australian employers to promote workplace health and safety by efficiently organizing assessments and offering mobile as well as on-site services. Their presence at around 8 convenient locations in Australia, flexible appointment scheduling service, and faster turnaround time for results make regular monitoring of the workforce health easy.

A workplace hearing test is not just a routine check-up, but it helps identify early hearing changes, facilitates informed decision-making, and promotes a healthy and safe workplace. Taking early action can help employers preserve the workers’ hearing health and reduce the risk of workplace incidents for everyone.