Audiometry is among the instrumental medical examinations of labor. All employees who perform their duties in very noisy environments or operate machinery that can give hearing-related problems over time undergo this examination.

Regular exposure to loud noises is one of the most common causes of hearing loss.

Let’s see together what the audiometric examination consists of and when it is performed.

Audiometric examination: what does it consist of?

Audiometric examination (or audiometry) is a legally required labor examination and consists of an examination designed to protect the worker’s hearing system.

Workers who perform their duties in particularly noisy environments or are in close contact with noisy machinery during work are required to undergo this examination as it prevents or reduces the occurrence of hearing dysfunction such as hearing loss or deafness.

It is an instrumental examination, and this means that the assessment is carried out with specific instruments: it needs no preparation on the part of the worker and is not an invasive examination.

Thanks to synchronization with the computerized health record,audiometry can also be performed (in addition to specialized facilities) at the company itself with a portable audiometer. In particular cases, however, it is appropriate to perform the examination in a soundproof audiometric booth.

The stages of audiometry

Audiometry is divided into three stages:

–
tonal audiometry

It is used to know what hearing threshold the worker has while listening to sounds at different frequencies; it can be carried out:

– Airborne with the use of headphones;

– by bone via a tuning fork connected behind the ear (on the mastoid) or via a bone oscillator that transmits vibrations;

–
speech audiometry

The worker must listen to some words and confirm whether he heard them correctly or distortedly;

–
high frequency audiometry

This examination is performed when the worker has been in contact with toxic substances or drugs and is used to check for any hearing deficits.

As the term itself says, this third phase uses high-frequency sounds above 8,192 Hz.

When audiometry examination is performed

The competent physician shall test workers foraudiometry every two years, every three years and every five years. If the worker deems it necessary, the visit can also be made upon request.

The competent physician is the specialist who deals with the health of workers. He or she is responsible for subjecting employees to hearing assessments at the following times:

– at the recruitment of the worker, then at the beginning;

– upon returning to work after an extended period of absence;

– every two, three, five years as a periodic follow-up visit;

– at the request of the worker who demonstrates his or her work-related deficit;

– when the company makes changes such as the introduction of new machinery, changes on employees or of the jobs themselves;

– in case of a change of duties.

In properly noisy workplaces, the competent physician conducts the examination periodically, but in special situations where the worker’s health requires more attention, the physician may also conduct the examination at short intervals.

Upon completion of the assessment, the competent physician is required to inform the worker and the employer about the outcome. If positive, the employer is obliged to introduce safety provisions, make sure they are enforced with the help of a Person in Charge, and change the role of the worker (who is obliged to follow these provisions) who is no longer fit for the current task.

In case risks of hearing loss or deafness have been found in the company’s Risk Assessment Document, the employer (together with the competent doctor and the Prevention and Protection Service) is required to draw up appropriate health surveillance, which is essential to monitor the worker’s health status and minimize the risks of hearing-related diseases.

Synergos uses portable audiometers with airway, boneway and masking equipped with a touch screen that allows audiometry to be performed without being connected to a computer. Audiometers are equipped with the highest quality headphones, mastoid headband and patient responder.

Synergos: Health And Safety At Work, Side By Side With The Employer To Protect Workers!