Name: Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing
Address: Calgary Alberta Canada, AB
Telephone: (403) 399-4775

Hearing is an integral part of health. It plays a significant role in the five senses and can help direct individuals’ thoughts, elucidate their ideas, and improve productivity at home and at work. It’s also very central to someone’s enjoyment of life. While a person’s work is essential to making a living, that work can’t directly interfere with someone’s health, which is why occupational health and safety have been written into law.

A common issue is hearing loss that develops over time, potentially disabling someone’s career by affecting not only their work performance but also their very health and enjoyment of life. There are many causes of hearing loss (most commonly, age, but also reactions to medication and infection). Undoubtedly, it’s important for employers to facilitate audiometric screenings for employees – to help determine whether the loss of such a vital part of a person’s health was preventable and whether it occurred directly as a result of noise-induced by job site activities.

Noise Is an Occupational Hazard

Hearing loss is often caused by imperceptible shifts in hearing as a result of sustained noise above healthy levels. The fact is, it’s not easy for a worker to know when damage has occurred since your hearing can be elastic, and sustained, excessive noise can permanently curtail your hearing’s elasticity.

As a result, there needs to be a way for a company to determine who is at risk for hearing loss and what their level of risk is to avoid unintentionally damaging their health. At this point, the best course of action, and one required by Alberta OH&S, includes regular audiograms at the workplace to prevent any adverse outcomes from occurring. Fortunately for employees and employers alike, hearing loss from occupational noise forms distinctive patterns on audiograms.

Further Hearing Problems Can Result from Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Moreover, occupational hearing loss can lead to unintended consequences. Sometimes there’s more than noise damage to the inner ear, which is why it’s important to catch it early and prevent further damage. Damage to the ear can lead to more problems, paving the way for a variety of ear illnesses that include tinnitus and vertigo.

More advanced hearing loss can become more pronounced in people exposed to occupational noise-induced hearing loss. Severe cases can require proactive management by an ear doctor every three years or so or every six months during infection. In addition, hearing aids may be recommended by an audiologist based on the individual’s lowered hearing ability.

It’s better to preserve hearing wherever possible, and noting when the first signs of hearing loss appear can enable employers to keep things from worsening. Periodic workplace hearing tests can bridge that gap and keep everyone accountable, so workers are safe at the workplace, and so that a company operates within code.

Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing is your locally owned and operated Calgary business. We are committed to providing mobile hearing testing services and other safety tests to numerous industries and companies in Western Canada. Our services are part of the WorkSafeBC Provider Network, while our sound booths are approved by the CSA. We offer audiometry testing, mask fit testing, custom earplugs, noise measurements, help with implementing a hearing conservation program, and spirometry testing. If you want to improve your workplace, leave it in the hands of our team. Contact us today at (403) 399-4775.

Audiometric Screening Tests

Noise-induced hearing loss is the most common type of permanent hearing impairment and may be caused by prolonged exposure to sound levels over 85 dB or greater. But this type of hearing loss requires a hearing test to detect.

An audiometric screening test is a fast and easy test that is used to screen for hearing loss. In environments where noise is a significant hazard, companies are legally required to initiate screening tests for their team members. Mobile hearing testing is a convenient way for your employees to get tested. Our sound booths are CSA approved and include OHS certified, state-of-the-art audiometric testing equipment.

Employees participate in a pure-tone test, during which they will hear a series of audible tones at various volumes and frequencies. With each set of beeps, the worker will click the responder button to determine if they hear the sound. From there, the test results are printed for analysis, and the printout is called an audiogram. An audiometric technician will always review the results with each worker; we sit down with your employees to educate them on what they’re looking at with each audiogram.

If you’ve ever wondered how professionals in this industry analyze the data, this article should give you a rough idea of how to interpret hearing loss on an audiogram.

Hearing Loss in General

Not all hearing loss is related to loud noises. Bacterial infections and reactions to medications are other known causes of hearing loss. In addition, many workplaces are subject to constant droning noises, and sounds in excess of 120 dB aren’t a normal part of the work environment. However, employees in these can still be subject to hearing impairment. Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss is often subtle, resulting from consistent, sustained exposure to noises between 85-120 dB, and many don’t realize their hearing has been impacted until much later. For this more gradual loss of hearing, audiometric screening is even more important to identify issues and find prevention methods before it’s too late.

How to Detect Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

When a person is exposed to high noise levels, the hearing threshold declines with higher frequencies. This results in an irregular pattern on the audiogram, often with large peaks in one ear and small valleys in the other ear, unless it’s affecting both ears.

An irregular audiogram can range from barely visible to very pronounced, and oftentimes it depends on years and years’ worth of exposure. This noise-induced hearing loss also has been called “occupational hearing loss” or “noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss.”

How an Audiogram Depicts Hearing Loss from an Audiometry Test

Audiograms paint a picture of a worker’s audiometric screening test results wherein hearing loss shows up as valleys or “notches.”

- On the x-axis of a chart, you can see sound frequency, in hertz (Hz), going from 500 to 8000.
- On the y-axis of a chart, you can see hearing sensitivity gaps measured in decibels (dB).

The test results are a connect-the-dots line that travels from normal thresholds, between 0 & 25 dB, to abnormal thresholds, from 25 to as much as 80 dB test results in the y-axis. A drop from 15 dB at 500 Hz to 45 dB at 4000 Hz and back up to 10 dB at 8000 Hz shows hearing loss at key frequencies—forming a visual trough or notch.

Notches are characteristically different from age-related hearing loss, which produces a downward curve with no bounce-back to normal thresholds at the 8000 Hz mark. This type of data strongly indicates that the hearing loss is due to the operation of heavy equipment, as you might find at your worksite

Audiometric screening tests are legally required because they paint a picture of what’s happening inside your ear over time as a worker advances in a career where noise is an accepted job hazard. However, hearing protection and hearing loss prevention programs, as well as thorough testing, provide the safe workplace that the law requires.

Workplace-Related Hearing Loss

Too much noise can damage the ears. This can lead to hearing loss, ringing in the ears, or even temporary deafness. Noise-induced hearing loss isn’t just limited to sudden loud sounds either – it includes any sound you hear consistently day after day, like at construction sites, factories, farms, and more. Excessive, sustained noise can also include things more common to household noises like headphones with volumes set too high (80+ decibels).

The crucial concern for industrial site managers is whether a sustained or excessive noise at a worksite can damage a worker’s hearing and whether the company is liable. That’s where industrial audiometric screening tests can help a company determine the work environment’s influence on an employee’s hearing loss. Let’s look at how.

How Does Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Affect Workers’ Compensation?

An employee can file a claim with workers’ comp like Alberta’s WCB or WorkSafeBC and argue that the hearing loss they experienced was due to work, a term known as Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Alberta. To determine whether their hearing loss was due to the workplace, employees need a set of audiograms from routine hearing tests that show data consistent with occupational hearing loss.

When an employee experiences hearing loss and it’s attributable to the work environment, the hearing loss is considered “compensable,” and the employee can get hearing aids covered by the WCB. And of course, if an employer gets significant WCB claims coming in, your premiums increase. Poor Performance Surcharges can impact your annual fees by 25%-200%, depending on how many WCB claims workers make each year.

What Can Hearing Loss Cost You in Court?

Hearing loss can result in compensation. There are a few precedents in case law that give an idea of what factors into damages payouts when a party is held liable for hearing loss. In these cases, the plaintiffs sought damages and collected $13,875 – $192,519 (adjusted for 2020 inflation levels).

Some cases of workplace hearing loss can lead to lawsuits. As with any lawsuit, payouts come in the forms of either out-of-court settlements or awarded economic damages after the court decides liability. Damages tend to be lump sums that can be broken down into multiple factors:

Actual Damages
Income Interruption Damages
Pecuniary & Punitive Damages
Pain & Suffering
Loss of Enjoyment of Life

While worker’s compensation is the first step for an employee suffering from hearing loss due to workplace noise hazards, there’s nothing stopping an employee from taking a company to court as a private citizen. In that case, they might seek damages near the upper limit of damage precedents in this area of law, which is close to $200,000.

Audiometric screening tests are not only required but tremendously helpful in avoiding large compensation payouts or higher payments to the WCB. They provide data in the form of a baseline test and annual hearing tests to ensure your personnel are not crossing thresholds for normal changes in hearing. If you have more questions on limiting your liability with industrial hearing tests or workplace noise testing, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Audiometric screening tests are essential for workers’ health and safety in multiple industries, including mining, agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and more. Any worksite where noise levels exceed normal levels could easily qualify as a health and safety hazard, requiring hearing testing by law to monitor the wellbeing of workers.

One thing we talked about before when discussing normal and abnormal hearing test results is the difference between what we do, audiometry testing, and a health assessment done by an audiologist, sometimes referred to as audiometric assessment. There is a distinction, and that’s what we’re going to expound upon in this post. Doing so will help you understand what an audiometric test’s part is in detecting hearing-related illnesses.

How Audiometric Screening Tests Can Detect Hearing Loss

Routine audiometry testing is key to helping workers understand their hearing. It provides data that employers and employees alike can use. But the fact remains that audiometry testing does not directly detect a hearing-related illness. It just paints a picture of your hearing ability, and by comparing baseline test results against periodic tests, your audiometric technician can identify abnormal shifts or abnormal baseline test results in your hearing.

How Audiometric Screening Tests Might Indicate Tinnitus or Other Illnesses

Tinnitus is frequently linked to hearing loss. Tinnitus is a loud phenomenon in your ears without an identifiable source of sound. Ringing, buzzing, whistling, whooshing, roaring, humming, or cricket noises seemingly from inside your head are examples of these sounds. But tinnitus is not a sickness or an ailment in and of itself.

Tinnitus can be caused by various factors, including middle ear infections and ear damage caused by loud noises. Moreover, tinnitus can happen on its own or in tandem with other types of hearing loss! As far as disease goes, certain infections, such as meningitis, CMV, mumps, and chickenpox can cause hearing loss. Jaundice can also lead to some ear health problems in severe cases.

To be clear, audiometric testing can certainly indicate when there might be hearing loss, but it can’t directly indicate that someone has tinnitus.

The Difference Between Audiometric Screening Tests & Audiological Assessments

An industrial audiometry test’s primary purpose is to show when hearing loss has taken place due to sustained noise.

An audiologist performs an audiological assessment, sometimes after an audiometric technician has administered a routine hearing test and referred the patient to a doctor. For all intents and purposes, an audiologist is an ear doctor. They can take various tests, and they might refer to an audiogram you got from industrial audiometric testing, and work towards a diagnosis, wherever there’s an undetected hearing-related illness in play. But your hearing test results are only part of the puzzle.

If you’re getting a routine hearing test, the resulting audiogram constitutes data an audiologist might be able to use in making a medical diagnosis. After that, they will likely need to perform further medical tests to form a diagnosis, as part of a medical ear exam.

At Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing, we make sure that we’re in touch with the most reliable audiologists we can find for the benefit of workers and their employers. But our primary focus is on providing audiometric screening tests and helping to prevent Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss(ONIHL)—to aid employers as they meet safety standards in the workplace, for the benefit of all.

Audiometry testing is a useful way to gauge your hearing capabilities. It is made more effective with multiple tests over a period of time, as this allows you to see any changes in your hearing and address any problems as they arise. Still, when given a line graph with numbers and symbols on it, you may not be able to decipher their meaning without a proper explanation. That is what we offer below.

Defining the X and Y Axis’s of Your Audiometry Test

Typically, the X-axis (horizontal) of your audiometry test will be the frequency of the sound, measured in hertz (Hz). Frequency is the measure of a soundwave’s repetition in a certain time frame. Lower frequencies sound deeper and repeat less often. Higher frequencies sound higher and repeat more often.

The Y-axis (vertical) of your audiometry test represents the intensity of the sound, expressed in decibels (dB). Intensity is a measure of the soundwave’s energy and acts much like the volume buttons on a television remote. More decibels mean a louder sound, which is easier to perceive.

Defining the Plotted Line of Your Audiometry Test

Audiometry testing assesses your ability to hear a range of frequencies. As you proceed through the test, the intensity of the sound will increase until you indicate you can hear it. Each point on the line is where you indicated you could hear the frequency and the intensity of the sound at that time.

An adult with no hearing loss will identify all frequencies within 0 to 25 dB, and a child 0 to 15 dB. Results with higher intensities indicate that the individual has experienced some hearing loss, which can be addressed with hearing aids and other methods if needed.

When it comes to hearing testing, there are many questions to be answered. For example, “who sets up industrial hearing testing?” Answering this question is relatively straightforward, as it is business representatives, like safety consultants, who set up the appointments. We explain in more detail below.

Everything You Need to Know About Setting Up Industrial Hearing Testing

Organizing Mobile Hearing Testing Services

The process of setting up industrial hearing testing is fairly simple. A business representative will contact our mobile hearing testing service and inquire about the availability of our services. Next, we decide on a time and location for the hearing testing to take place. When the right date arrives, our testing unit will come on-site, park in a convenient location and check in with the site contact. Where necessary, our team will attend relevant safety training and site orientation before the testing begins.

Other Considerations

Depending on the size of your company, you may want to consider organizing the appointment times for hearing testing. Very large companies may prefer to organize the testing by department (accounting, welding, etc.), name or another method. The process takes 12-15 minutes per person, so it is not advisable to queue outside the testing unit.

Contact Our Mobile Hearing Testing Service Today!

To book an appointment for hearing testing at your facility, simply Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing a call. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can answer any questions you may have and book your testing appointment at a time that is convenient for you.

Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing is your locally owned and operated Calgary business. We are committed to providing mobile hearing testing services and other safety tests, to numerous industries and companies in Western Canada. Our services are part of the WorkSafeBC Provider Network, while our sound booths are approved by the CSA. We offer audiometry testing, mask fit testing, custom earplugs, noise measurements, help with implementing a hearing conservation program, and spirometry testing. If you want to improve your workplace, leave it in the hands of our team. Contact us today on (403) 399-4775.

Audiometry testing accomplishes several key benefits. It ensures your hearing is maintained, alerts you to any changes or unsafe practices at your worksite, and best of all, keeps you in compliance with Alberta Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Code. Usually, it is this last item that really gets people to pay attention.

And for good reason. The requirements of the Act, Regulations and Code have only become more stringent in recent times. With the addition of administrative penalties, this trend is likely to continue into the future. Interestingly, this affects both employers and employees in almost equal measure.

As an employer, you have an obligation to understand these rules and deploy them appropriately to protect your workers. As a worker, you are responsible for complying with regulations and understanding your role in creating a safe work environment for yourself and your peers. But does this mean that your workplace must complete audiometry testing?

Who Needs Audiometry Testing

Every employer will need to consider audiometry testing, at least to the extent that their workers are exposed to noise in the run of a typical day. They must either reduce the noise to below the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) threshold, or develop a hearing conservation program that includes audiometric testing. For more information about OELs, check here.

So, if your workplace is a relatively quiet environment without regular spikes in the noise level, you may not have to worry about audiometry testing. Still, many commercial and industrial companies will have at least some level of noise for their manufacturing or processing equipment. But, when does “some noise” become “too much noise”?

For that, we need two pieces of information. The first is Section 218 and the second is Schedule 3, Table 1, referred to in this section.

Section 218

An employer must ensure that a worker’s exposure to noise does not exceed

(a) the noise exposure limits in Schedule 3, Table 1, and

(b) 85 dBA L_exB

Schedule 3, Table 1

Exposure Level (dBA)	Exposure Duration
82	16 hours
83	12 hours and 41 minutes
84	10 hours and 4 minutes
85	8 hours
88	4 hours
91	2 hours
94	1 hours
97	30 minutes
100	15 minutes
103	8 minutes
106	4 minutes
109	2 minutes
112	56 seconds
115 and greater	0

Basically, if noise goes above these limits at your workplace, it is time to develop a hearing conservation program and perform audiometry testing for your workers.

How to Get Audiometry Testing

We offer mobile audiometry testing throughout Western Canada. Our vehicles are equipped with all the equipment necessary to perform the testing and produce reports stating the results. To learn more about how we can help, contact us today.

Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing is your locally owned and operated Calgary business. We are committed to providing mobile hearing testing services and other safety tests, to numerous industries and companies in Western Canada. Our services are part of the WorkSafeBC Provider Network, while our sound booths are approved by the CSA. We offer audiometry testing, mask fit testing, custom earplugs, noise measurements, help with implementing a hearing conservation program, and spirometry testing. If you want to improve your workplace, leave it in the hands of our team. Contact us today on (403) 399-4775.

The world of safety in Alberta is constantly evolving and changing. It seems like just yesterday there were protests and public outrage when new farming legislation came into law. And, with yearly reviews, exemptions and changes, there is always something new to discover within the industry.

However, even within the existing act, regulations and code, there is a fair amount to learn and understand. It is essential for both employers and employees to study and keep abreast of these changes, as they may affect work sites, policies, and procedures. Today, we will look at just one part of the Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Code, namely schedule 3.

What is Schedule 3 in OHS Code?

Like all schedules in the OHS Code, Schedule 3 is at the very back of the blue book. It refers to three tables that all relate to noise within the workplace. Below, we will focus on Table 1: Occupational exposure limits for noise. For reference sake, however, it is worth noting that Table 2 provides guidance on the selection of hearing protection devices, and Table 3 describes permissible background noise conditions during audiometric testing.

How to Interpret Schedule 3, Table 1

Interpreting the first table in this schedule is key to understanding the building blocks of your hearing conservation program. It simply contrasts the decibel exposure level (dBA) with the maximum allowable exposure duration. As an example, at 82 dBA a worker can face exposure for up to 16 hours without permanent hearing damage. This is considered the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) for that noise level.

However, this steeply drops off as at 85 dBA the OEL is reduced to half that amount or just 8 hours. Additionally, it is relevant to note the requirements for hearing protection and a hearing conservation program over the 85 dBA mark. Once the noise levels reach 115 dBA or greater, there is no amount of worker exposure allowed.

How to Find the Right Hearing Protection

Once you have tested your worksite and determined what level of noise is present, the next step will be protecting your workers. This may involve changing processes, replacing equipment, introducing new policies or updating personal protective equipment requirements.

For help understanding employer’s responsibility to workers, effective and fast testing or other relevant concerns, contact us today!

Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing is your locally owned and operated Calgary business. We are committed to providing mobile hearing testing services and other safety tests, to numerous industries and companies in Western Canada. Our services are part of the WorkSafeBC Provider Network, while our sound booths are approved by the CSA. We offer audiometry testing, mask fit testing, custom earplugs, noise measurements, help with implementing a hearing conservation program, and spirometry testing. If you want to improve your workplace, leave it in the hands of our team. Contact us today on (403) 399-4775.

Your hearing is an important asset. Once it is lost or damaged, there is very little you can do to get it back. This is why hearing loss prevention, through PPE, administrative and engineered controls, is so vital.

To ensure your safety, it is important to learn about the decibel level protection guidelines and schedule an audiometry test.

Why It is Important to Get an Audiometry Test

The Recommended Threshold for Hearing Protection is 85dBA Lex

Specific industries are prone to loud noises. Just think about working in a factory or on a tarmac at an airport. Employees at welding shops or construction sites are particularly vulnerable to hearing loss. This is why experts have taken the time to measure when this damage occurs. By knowing when damage occurs, it is possible to set necessary safeguards on the working conditions.

According to experts, hearing protection should always be worn when the sound level reaches 85dBA Lex. If the sound exceeds 85dBA Lex, and you are exposed for longer than the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL), you may be at risk of noise-induced hearing loss.

For effective prevention, invest in quality custom ear protection and monitor changes to your hearing with regular audiometric testing.

How to Measure Detrimental Decibel Levels – Noise Measurement & Hearing Loss

Measure the Loudness by Undertaking a Noise Measurement Assessment

While your employer should be responsible for determining the noise levels in a busy work environment, it is not a process you should leave to chance.

If you do not have access to sound level meters or noise dosimeters to measure the levels, you should know that we provide noise measurement services that include sound mapping and noise dosimetry.

These services aim to determine the noise levels in your workplace and occupational exposure of your employees, thereby providing you with an opportunity to implement a hearing conservation program that includes routine audiometric testing and custom ear protection.

Watch for Other Signs of Hearing Damage

Another way to make sure that you are staying safe is to track the signs of hearing loss over time. Audiometric testing is the best way to record lasting changes, but pay attention to ringing in the ears, difficulty hearing conversations and other subtle indicators.

Additionally, you may experience temporary hearing loss in loud situations. Remember, any time you hear ringing in your ears or have to shout to be heard, you should perform a hazard assessment and wear proper hearing protection if there are signs that the environment is too loud.

You should not let these symptoms go unchecked. If you notice any issues with your hearing, start wearing protective gear right away.

The OH&S code requires employers to have their employee’s hearing checked with an audiometry test if they are exposed to noise regularly. This test can help you determine the state of your hearing.

Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing is your locally owned and operated Calgary business. We are committed to providing mobile hearing testing services and other safety tests, to numerous industries and companies in Western Canada. Our services are part of the WorkSafeBC Provider Network, while our sound booths are approved by the CSA. We offer audiometry testing, mask fit testing, custom earplugs, noise measurements, help with implementing a hearing conservation program, and spirometry testing. If you want to improve your workplace, leave it in the hands of our team. Contact us today on (403) 399-4775.

Many steps go into building your company’s hearing conservation program. Below, we have given a brief overview of each step and how to approach them. For more information, consider reading this post from Work Safe Alberta that outlines the requirements in more detail.

The Steps to Building a Hearing Conservation Program

Educating Workers

The first step in your hearing conservation program is educating your workers. As an employer, you must ensure that your employees understand the dangers of excessive noise exposure, how to tell they are being exposed to loud noises, and what they can do to protect themselves from hearing loss.

Measuring Sound Levels

Next, you must measure the sound levels in your workplace. To do this, a suitable individual, with sufficient training, must go through all worksites on your property and assess the level of noise. This involves using a properly calibrated, sufficiently sensitive audiometer per the requirements of CSA Standard Z107.56-06 Procedures for the Measurement of Occupational Noise Exposure. Typically, you begin with the areas where you must raise your voice to be heard and understood.

Posting Signage

After you identify the areas that require hearing protection, you must post signage declaring them as such. This signage must be placed at all entrances to the loud areas, as is suitably possible.

Controlling Noise Exposure

Once you post signage for all employees and contractors, the next step is controlling the noise exposure of workers who must work in these loud locations. In some cases, this means limiting their time in the area, but it can also mean looking for quieter equipment or making hearing protection available.

Conducting Audiometric Tests

To track the level of hearing loss (If any) of your workers, you must conduct annual audiometric testing for all exposed workers. You must do this testing with trained, qualified and suitable testing equipment and technicians. The best hearing conservation programs hire outside audiometry testing companies to perform this task.

Making Hearing Protection Available

Finally, you are almost ready to work in the loudest areas of your premises again. However, before that, you must find and make available hearing protection that effectively diminishes the worker’s exposure. This may take the form of muffs, plugs or even custom hearing protection.

Reviewing the Program Annually/ Monitoring Sound Levels

Now that you have a hearing conservation program that meets the standards and requirements of Alberta Occupational Health & Safety, there is only one step left. An annual review of said program. This is your opportunity to analyze and change any parts of your program that are ineffective. Remember, if your processes change, you must also reevaluate all affected policies and procedures.

Rocky Mountain Mobile Hearing Testing is your locally owned and operated Calgary business. We are committed to providing mobile hearing testing services and other safety tests, to numerous industries and companies in Western Canada. Our services are part of the WorkSafeBC Provider Network, while our sound booths are approved by the CSA. We offer audiometry testing, mask fit testing, custom earplugs, noise measurements, help with implementing a hearing conservation program, and spirometry testing. If you want to improve your workplace, leave it in the hands of our team. Contact us today on (403) 399-4775.