5 reasons why your employees need a hearing test
In Australia, it is mandatory for businesses to arrange hearing tests for staff whose health is at risk because of exposure to continuous noise over 85 decibels.
Clearly, that means that if your workplace is a particularly loud environment — for example, if there’s heavy industrial machinery in operation — you should regularly monitor noise levels.
But even if you’re under the threshold, it’s still advisable to establish a program of hearing surveillance for your employees. Here’s why…
It’s not just the company that’s liable
According to Safe Work Australia and WHS laws, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), also known as Officers, have a duty of care to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and they can be prosecuted for failing to exercise due diligence.
Just in case you needed an additional incentive to follow the relevant legislation.
Difficulty hearing can be an occupational risk
If one or more of your employees has trouble hearing, it can put them at greater risk from other dangers; on a construction site, for example, they may not be able to hear heavy machinery approaching.
By testing their hearing on a regular basis, your business will have a greater understanding of each staff member’s personal risk profile.
It shows you value your staff
It’s all very well talking about how your employees are the most important asset for your business. But it means very little if you aren’t taking proactive measures to ensure their safety. Arranging hearing tests is a small but important way of reassuring your team that you’re a responsible organisation working in their best interests.
Our hearing changes
Your ability to hear isn’t static — it changes over time depending on biological and environmental factors. That’s why it’s important for businesses to arrange regular hearing tests for staff who may be at risk of noise damage.
It can diagnose an underlying health condition
Hearing loss can be caused by ageing. But it’s also brought on by health conditions such as type-two diabetes and high blood pressure. Because of this, many patients who go for hearing tests discover conditions that they never knew they had, and as a result, get the medical support they need sooner than they otherwise would.
IAC Acoustics Australia offers specialist noise control solutions for a number of applications, including manufacturing, industrial equipment, power generation and power distribution. Contact us to find out more.