Hearing Testing (Audiometry)
The commonest cause of deafness in Australia is noise exposure. This can come from a variety of causes but the most important of these is noise exposure at work. Hearing testing needs to be done in compliance with Australian Standards. These standards apply to the equipment used, both audiometers and noise proof booths. All audiometers used at The Health Advantage are conducted using equipment that complies with and is calibrated to Australian Standards.
The Health Advantage offers testing both at its office, Unit 6/136 Russell Street, Toowoomba City but also at the worksite using a mobile noise proof booth.
In situations where noise levels at the workplace are above 100 decibels it is important to have hearing protection fit tested to ensure that the hearing protection provided is sufficient to prevent hearing loss in those workers. In this case The Health Advantage offers qualitative fit testing for ear plugs. Please note this service is not available for ear muffs.
Did you know only 7 percent of people fit their ear plugs properly ensuring they have good protection when wearing ear plugs? Thus in circumstances where a person may have already lost hearing or there may be an indication that the hearing loss is getting worse over time, qualitative audiometry fit testing can be of benefit to identify those workers who are not correctly fitting their earplugs.
The most important difference between The Health Advantage and other providers of audiometric screening is that we provide the Workplace Health and Safety Officer with an interpretation of the result, not just the percentage of hearing loss but also the likely cause of that hearing loss. Thus if we identify a hearing loss that is likely to be caused from noise we will advise the employer of such but if we identify another problem, not likely to be caused by noise but of some significance then the medical practitioners at The Health Advantage are able to identify what the problem is likely to be and make any necessary referrals for that person.
If relevant the occupational consequences the level of hearing loss present is also reported along with recommended re-screening times. Please see the attached examples. This means the employer is no longer left wondering what to do to ensure the hearing preservation of their employees. If previous records are available to us we are also able to compare these records to track any hearing loss over time.
Case Study One
During a pre-employment medical a lady was identified as having a 20 percent hearing loss in one ear but no hearing loss in the other ear. The nature of this hearing loss and the medical examination indicated it was likely coming interference with the nerve that takes the electrical messages from the ear to the brain. Referral was made to the lady's General Practitioner who on referred for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan which showed the small brain tumour causing the problem at a stage where it could be successfully treated by surgery.
Case Study Two
Regular yearly surveillance over a period of six years had showed a deterioration in the person's hearing from 5% to 13%. The pattern indicated that this hearing loss was noise induced. Previous noise mapping at the workplace by the employer had indicated noise in the 85 to 92 decibel range. A previous audit of the worker's use of hearing protection showed that he regularly used his earplugs at work. Examination revealed he had narrow ear canals which made it difficult for ear plugs to fit correctly. Advice was given to the employer to swap his hearing protection to ear muffs and this halted any further hearing loss over the next four years of surveillance.
