Hearing Tests
Hearing Tests
Everwell uses a fully automated portable system with sound excluding headphones that can be used in a quiet room. This allows us to perform hearing surveillance to the new HSE/ Noise at Work Regulation guidelines on your site and at your convenience without the requirement of a cumbersome acoustic booth or an expensive mobile unit.
Everwell’s process typically takes 15-20 minutes per person. This includes a review of a hearing questionnaire (to be completed by each individual), the audiometric test itself, an examination of the ears and an explanation of the results.
The audiometric test is relatively straight forward, after quick instructions on what to do, the audiometry programme is run and this automatically goes through the prescribed frequencies. The final output is presented as a audiogram (graph) with the overall result adjusted for age and classified into one of four categories (as per the Noise at Work Regs). A summarised report is produced at the end for Management and results are filed and stored.
Note: Any employee failing the tests will normally be referred onward to a Doctor, normally their own GP. However Everwell can arrange a referral to an Occupational Health Physician.
This is just one of a number of HSE & COSHH compliant on-site health surveillance and medical screening services that Everwell Occupational Health offers across the UK as part of a Workplace Occupational Health Service.
Convenient On-site Audiometry
Everwell Occupational Health offers, a UK wide, on-site audiometry testing or, as it is often called, hearing testing service. As with all Everwell’s other Health Surveillance services, our hearing tests are very convenient, simple to engage and cause minimal disruption with each hearing test only taking 15 – 20 minutes per person.
The hearing test service is designed to be compliant with the statutory Health Screening requirements as laid down by the HSE or more specifically the Noise at Work Regulations (2005) for those employees exposed to noise at work.
On-site, we only need the use of a convenient and quiet room near to the workforce and then our Occupational Health Advisor will simply work through the hearing tests for exposed staff in whatever order or timetable that suits production. As we conduct each audiometric test we will explain the results to the employee then at the end of the day the Occupational Health Nurse will give a quick debrief to the Manager and a few days later Everwell will issue a summarised Management report for your records. We retain all hearing test results confidentially and as dictated by the Noise at Work Regs. Having the previous hearing tests records also allows us to make comparisons on subsequent visits to detect any early signs of any abnormal deterioration in hearing capacity and therefore help tackle any issues before they become a more serious problem.
Please contact us to see just how flexible and convenient our on-site hearing / audiometric testing service can be.
Clear Objectives
The clear objective of the Regulations is to protect employees from noise.
As such they require employers to:
- Assess the risks from noise.
- Take action to reduce noise exposure (elimination of source or contact with that source).
- Provide hearing protection for those employees exposed.
- Make sure legal limits are not exceeded:
- The lower exposure action value is only 80dB (This is just about the level made by a typical Vacuum Cleaner!!)
- Upper exposure action value 85 dB
- Peak sound pressure of 137 dB
- Provide information to employees.
- Carry out hearing surveillance (specifically hearing or audiometric tests) for staff where there is risk to hearing health.
Everwell Occupational Health offers a full range of convenient on-site health surveillance including audiometric or hearing tests.