It can be easy to forget just how vital some things are until you do not have them anymore. For example, many people may take good hearing for granted, not realising how much they rely on it to keep them aware of their surroundings and potential dangers, to communicate effectively with others, and overall help them to navigate their day. This is particularly important when it comes to workplaces, as many worksites will have a range of loud noises that staff may be exposed to throughout their workday, and unless appropriate noise control practices are implemented, staff are at risk of excessive noise exposure, which could damage their hearing and impact their ability to perform their job. Audiometric testing of staff is an effective strategy for both controlling noise risks, and demonstrating a commitment to staff wellbeing.

Qualified audiometrists travel to worksites to conduct testing

Audiometric testing is a process that allows businesses to work at developing safer workplaces, by having their staff undergo routine tests to check for noise-induced hearing loss. If staff are required to wear hearing protective devices at any time across their workday, then they risk exposure to excessive noise risks. This process not only helps businesses to ensure that work duties do not negatively impact staff hearing, but also helps companies to develop efficient noise control strategies for mitigating noise risks, thus keeping staff safe, and their workplace productive.

One of the key benefits to onsite audiometric testing is that the qualified audiometrists travel to worksites in their mobile testing unit to conduct the tests. This means that the tests cause little disruption for businesses, who are free to go about their work duties, whilst getting the relevant staff tested. It is a straight-forward process, where the audiometrists give the person being tested a pair of headphones to put on, through which a series of audible tones, of different degrees and pitches, are played, and the person must state when they hear a tone.

This allows the testers to track the level of hearing loss in staff and determine what noise control measures need to be implemented across the operations. This process is known as pure tone audiometry, and it is the leading occupational test designed to assess the potential impact of workplace noises. The headphones are plugged into an audiometer, which plays the tones through the headphones, giving the audiometrists insight into the levels of hearing loss across staff.

Businesses undergoing this process stand to gain numerous benefits, including:

• Ensuring that the noise levels across their worksites remain within compliant levels, and that effective noise control strategies are developed to minimise the potential for noise-induced hearing loss.
• Being able to chart hearing loss in staff across time, to understand how their hearing abilities may have been impacted since commencing their role. Staff will be required to undergo a baseline audiometry test within three months of starting their role, to help businesses understand what their hearing abilities currently are. Staff will then undergo retesting at regular intervals, which will allow testers to track whether they have incurred any noise-induced hearing loss since commencing their role.
• Developing effective noise control strategies across worksites. After conducting these tests, the audiometrists will be able to provide businesses with recommendations on appropriate noise control strategies they could implement, to keep their staff and workplace safe. This could range from requiring relevant staff to wear hearing protective devices, to restricting certain staff from performing certain roles, and so on.

Contact us to hear more about the benefits of audiometric testing

If reading this article has prompted you to take action towards developing a safer, noise compliant workplace, then please contact Anitech’s specialist consultants today on sales@anitechgroup.com or on 1300 802 163. By telling them about your work environment, and some of the potential noise risks that staff may be exposed to, they will be able to arrange for our qualified audiometrists to travel to your worksite to conduct audiometric testing upon staff, and help you develop a safer workplace in the process. Doesn’t that sound like something worth hearing more about?

Please click here to read more about the audiometric testing process, and how it helps businesses protect the hearing of their staff.