Audio test

[DJR MAN]

Would like to hear your collective opinions on this.

We will be getting called up for a hearing test when we go back to work soon. We have been told its the same as the guys get before they get a job with the company, to get a benchmark of the hearing level.

They want to test all of us. The query I have is myself and many of us have been with the company for many years, some of us well over 20 - 25 yrs, medicals were unheard of, back when you got a job on your word, look the man in the eye and a firm hand shake was your contract.
Our hearing isn't 100% like it was when we were in our 20's when we started with the company.

So, how can this information, ie the result of these tests, can possibly be used against us in 2014, and into the future, as we have suffered hearing degradation over the whole of our working life since the 1980's?

[XP6]

You gave your own answer "to get a benchmark of the hearing level."
They cant use it against you, if you file for compensation at any stage it will be based from this test.

My employer does the same thing every 3 years, in my 20yr sentence I've lost 15% in 1 ear so far... no wonder I cant tune my guitar anymore without electronic assistance, I had an oxy hose blow off from the bottle right next to me while oxy lancing a furnace had no hearing protection at the time :(

[DRU842]

This is probably more of a requirement of the Workers Comp Insurer, looking to cover their ***.

[DJR MAN]

What I was a little concerned about was say if I test at having - hypothetically , 75% hearing in 2014. Not that I'm thinking of making a compo claim, but, is it a case of bad luck , you've lost 25% hearing - you can't make a compo claim ever on that loss.
And if it gets worse from this day forward and you don't follow the companies safety policy, won't be able to make a claim in the future?

[cobramania]

Originally Posted by DJR MAN

What I was a little concerned about was say if I test at having - hypothetically , 75% hearing in 2014. Not that I'm thinking of making a compo claim, but, is it a case of bad luck , you've lost 25% hearing - you can't make a compo claim ever on that loss.
And if it gets worse from this day forward and you don't follow the companies safety policy, won't be able to make a claim in the future?

That's probably the general idea, but they can't say you've lost 25% of hearing, unless you've previously been tested, there's no standard, defined level of hearing a person should start with. There's a general approximation, most people with (said to be) perfect hearing can hear levels of ?dB.

For all they know, you could've had that level of hearing since birth?

Unless you've been previously tested with a recorded level of hearing, it's unlikely you'll ever be able to claim for any such (apparent) previous, up till now, hearing loss. Partly because they don't know if you've lost your hearing gradually over time from noise in the workplace, or at a faster rate from something else outside the workplace, (like listening to loud music), or whether you never really had perfect hearing to start with?

That last sentence is likely spot on the mark, it's probably the workers comp. insurer making them do this.

Like XP6 said with the oxy bottle. If in the future something happens at work, & you get a hearing loss, they now have something to compare it with, & judge how much hearing you lost, & how much compo, they'll pay.

It'll also be a general benchmark of the levels of hearing of all employees.
It's reasonably well known, how much hearing will degrade (naturally), over a persons life, under normal (non industrial noise conditions).

If the entire workforce has lower than expected hearing (higher than expected hearing loss), then they can reasonably safely assume, the workplace is too noisy, & more measures to lower the noise, or for more hearing protection to be warn.

This last case could actually work in your favour, for making a claim for previous hearing losses.

[MercurySilver]

yeah we have it every two years i think
sit in a booth and listen to beeps
havent heard of anyone being pulled into the office about their hearing or lack of it

[Powdered Toast Man]

My work does it every year (factory with grinding, welding etc). OHS and insurance reasons I'm guessing.

I work in the office so my hearing is pretty much the same each year lol.

Like already said I doubt its to use against any employees, just a legal requirement of the company to provide them.