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Industrial Hearing Conservation Services

 

OUR AIM: Prevent Hearing Loss at The Workplace

At HEARLINK we provide essential services for the prevention of noise damage to workers’ hearing.

Services:

  • Training of employers and workers
  • Noise measurements including personal dosimetry.
  • Regular audiometric hearing screening (in cases where hearing protection is required)
  • Onsite testing as well as in our clinics around Melbourne, incl. Geelong (Belmont)
  • Follow up diagnostic audiological examinations for those workers who failed* the audiometric screening
  • Personal hearing protection

Workplace Responsibility:

It is the employer’s responsibility to take steps to protect workers’ hearing as well as meet legal OH&S obligations. It is the worker’s responsibility to comply with the safety rules including the proper use and maintenance of their hearing protection.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you meet your responsibilities.

Definition of Noise: Unwanted Sound or Damaging Sound.

Problem: NOISE
  • Noise damages hearing
  • There is no treatment for noise damage to hearing
  • As well as hearing loss, noise causes tinnitus
  • There is no treatment for tinnitus
  • Noise can causenon-auditory damage in the cardio-vascular

 

endocrine, metabolic, gastro-intestinal andneurological systems. Performance in reading, writing and listeningtasks are also affected by noise, as is concentration.

Productivity in workplaces can be affectedif there is excessive noise, especially if employees suffer from noise induced hearingloss.

Solution: Prevention

  1. Quieter working environment- make machines, equipment, work activities less noisy
  2. Isolate worker from the noise source
  3. Hearing protection if 1 & 2 is not achievable

 

Essentials of a Hearing Conservation program:

  1. Training of employers and workers
  2. Noise exposure measurements
  3. Regular audiometric hearing screening (in cases where hearing protection is required)
  4. Follow up diagnostic audiological examinations for those workers who failed* the audiometric screening

 



* if the hearing threshold in either ear deteriorates by 15dB or more in any one of these frequencies, 3 KHz, 4KHz & 6KHz

Noise Exposure Standard in Victoria: 85dBA noise level for 8 hours and peak noise level 140dBC. For every 3dB above this, the duration of exposure is halved, eg. If the noise level is 88dBA, the maximum duration a worker may work is 4 hours. The appropriate attenuation rating of a hearing protector will result in keeping the exposure below the standard.